A highly nutritious diet is something we should all strive for, and there are a number of reasons to do it, from getting the most out of the money you spend on food to actually maintaining a healthy balance in your body.
Knowing what the most optimal foods to go for are when you’re in a situation where you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck is crucial, and with such a wide variety of options, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
This is particularly true for anyone who’s not too picky with their food, and if they’re given too many choices, it’ll be extremely hard to make one that’ll feel worth your while, so we’re here to help you out.
Hundreds of different foods could technically qualify to be called high-nutrition, but we’ve compiled only the best of the best for you to put on your list, and once you do, both your wallet and your body will be thanking you.
Salmon
You’d assume all fish is practically the same in regard to the number of nutrients they pack, but it’s often surprising for people when they find out that salmon may just be a cut above the rest in this category.
While some other types of fish do also offer a fair amount of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon meat has them in incredibly high concentration, and it’s why meat from this fish is believed to be among the better kinds you could spend your money on.
A healthy intake of omega-3 fatty acids ensures that your body will be functioning properly, and people who regularly consume fatty fish have been found to be at a significantly lower risk of contracting some serious diseases.
However, there’s a lot more to salmon than just omega-3, as it’s filled with high-quality animal protein as well as some vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to our bodies.
Kale
In contrast to salmon meat, kale is a much more vegan-friendly option that also offers a fair amount of nutrients to every meal it’s included in.
Kale salad is loaded with minerals, vitamins, and fibers, all of which contribute to the overall health of your body as well as your organ functions and natural processes that can improve digestion.
While you may already be familiar with spinach and its miraculous properties, kale seems to be much more effective at strengthening one’s body, as it’s got lower quantities of oxalates which bind calcium in your intestine instead of allowing your body to absorb it.
On top of this, kale and numerous other leafy greens have been found to be incredibly effective at fighting off cancer due to their high dosage of isothiocyanates and indole-3-carbinol, compounds that aren’t normally found in high quantities in other foods.
Seaweed
Oftentimes, when you think seafood, the first thing that comes to mind is either fish or shellfish, whereas the plant life of the sea usually gets overlooked.
Despite being hidden away from sunlight, the seafloor has high amounts of vegetation growing on top of it, and there are thousands of different species of seaweed that are safe for human consumption.
In fact, the food is a staple in Japanese cuisine, where it’s used to make iconic dishes such as sushi.
Most of the time, seaweed is more nutritious than the vegetables you’d find on land, and it’s packed full of iron, magnesium, and calcium, all of which are invaluable to the human body.
Finally, seaweed has a high concentration of iodine, which is highly important to the human body due to being a key ingredient in the natural process that produces thyroid hormones.
Of course, seaweed isn’t up to everyone’s taste, so you can just opt to consume it in supplement form, albeit you’ll be missing out on dozens of tasty dishes you can make with it.
Garlic
Last but not least, we have garlic, the vampires’ kryptonite, and a key ingredient in hundreds, if not thousands of tasty dishes from across the globe, spanning multiple cultures and countries.
Just about any bland dish can become akin to gourmet food with the addition of a small amount of fresh, powdered, or fried garlic, and apart from being a fragrant addition to your everyday meals, it’s also a great source of vitamins C, B1 and B6 as well as calcium, potassium, copper, and sulfur.
When it’s not being used as a condiment or a source of vitamins, garlic can become a form of treatment for certain cancers, as studies have shown that people who regularly consume it are at a much lower risk of contracting some of the more common forms of cancer.
Finally, if you’re not too big on garlic in your food, or as a supplement, it can be used to deal with bacterial or fungal infections due to its many amazing properties against two.