Carrot
Everyone’s favourite vegetable in a cake, carrots are tasty, nutritious and packed with goodness. Did you know you can also get purple, red, white and carrots! How cool! On top of this, carrots have heaps of health benefits, as you can see:
- Be Healthier:
Carrots are high in phytonutrients (especially Vitamin K, potassium beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene) which help in protecting against cancer and Heart disease.
- Healthier Skin:
Carrots are great sources of phytonutrients such as Beta Carotene which can improve healthier skin and overall appearance. Did you know: beta-carotene in vegetables can change the colour of your skin to give you more of a healthy glow!
If you CARROT* all about your health, then grab yourself a bunch of carrots.
*Sorry for the terrible pun.
Lettuce
Shh LETTUCE tell you a secret… lettuce is a Real ‘Superfood’ that has loads of health benefits including:
- Be Healthier:
Lettuce is high in essential phytonutrients (especially Vitamin K, Vitamin C and potassium) which help in protecting against cancer and Heart disease. Lettuce is also part of the ‘green leafy veg’ family and research has shown green leafy vegetables had the greatest protective effect from type two diabetes when compared to other types of fruit and vegetables. There is also strong evidence showing that green leafy veg can reduce risk of heart disease by up to 16%.
- Healthier Skin:
Lettuce is also good a source of phytonutrients such as, Vitamin C and Beta Carotene which can improve Healthier Skin and overall appearance.
Use in salads or add to other recipes for a refreshing crunch to your meal!
Melon
Did you know that the Yubari melon, a juicy and extremely sweet orange melon, is the world’s most expensive fruit, coming in at $23,000 per pair? Don’t worry not all melons cost you an arm and a leg, you can get sweet and juicy watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew all at low cost and still get amazing health benefits:
- Be Healthier:
High-fibre fruit like melon can help reduce the risk of Heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Healthier Skin:
Melons have a high Beta Carotene (cantaloupe) and Lycopene (red watermelon) content which can improve Healthier Skin and overall appearance.
- Support Immune Function:
Melons are a good source of vitamin C and Vitamin A which is important for growth and development and maintenance of your immune system to help with wound healing and fighting infection.
This aromatic, juicy and refreshing fruit can be eaten fresh as part of breakfast, added to salads and seafood dishes or served as a dessert with yoghurt. Yum!
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are more than a Pizza Topping. Did you know they were once used for medicinal purposes in Asia? Whether you eat them for taste, nutrition or convenience it doesn’t matter because mushrooms help you to:
- Be Healthier:
Mushrooms are high in phytonutrients (especially Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Glutathione, ergothioneine and Selenium) which help in reducing inflammation and preventing heart disease and certain cancers.
- Healthy Gut:
As a good source of fibre, mushrooms help to keep you regular.
- Healthier Skin:
Mushrooms are a good source of niacin, which is associated with lower skin cancer risk.
So make some room for mushrooms on your plate!
FYI: Mushrooms are great for vegans and vegetarians because of the rich Vitamin B12 content. Vitamin B12 helps with red blood cell formation and the breaking down of some fatty acids and amino acids to produce energy. Mushrooms are one of the few plant-based sources which contain this essential vitamin.
Pumpkin
Everyone’s favourite Halloween dish, pumpkin can be enjoyed all year round and is incredibly nutritious, with these awesome benefits:
- Be Healthier:
As a good source of beta carotene, pumpkins may to help lower risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the cluster of symptoms associated with obesity i.e., high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control and elevated triglyceride levels.
- Healthier Skin:
Pumpkins are great sources of phytonutrients such as Vitamin C and Beta Carotene which can protect skin from the Sun’s damaging UV rays and improve overall appearance.
- Support Immune Function:
Being rich in Vitamin C, pumpkin can help your body fight off infections.
So don’t be scared to add some more pumpkin to your plate!
Raspberries
Raspberries are a delicious, red berry. You might find them in summer drink menus or spicing up a fruit salad. But did you know they have health promoting qualities too:
- Be Healthier:
Raspberries are high in phytonutrients (especially Vitamin C and Manganese) which help in protecting against cancer and Heart disease.
- Healthy Gut:
As a good source of fibre, raspberries promote a regular bowel habit.
- Healthier Skin:
Research suggests the phytonutrients in berries help to neutralise free radicals, which is one of the leading causes of skin aging.
There are many ways to enjoy this juicy fruit. Frozen raspberries can be cheaper and available all year round! Try adding to cereal or oats for a tangy breakfast. Add to a smoothie for a quick snack or make a berry salad with blueberries, strawberries and blackberries.
Did you know: Raspberries come in all sorts of colours, including red, purple, gold or black. The gold ones are the sweetest variety.
Spinach
Green leafy veg like spinach are absolutely cram packed with vitamins and minerals, especially iron, folic acid, carotenoids, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Spinach has a number of health benefits including:
- Be Healthier:
Fruit and vegetables can help ward off type two diabetes, but a closer look at specific types found that green leafy vegetables including spinach had the greatest protective effect. There is also strong evidence showing that green leafy veg can reduce risk of heart disease by up to 16%. As a good source of iron, spinach is important during pregnancy to prevent poor pregnancy outcomes such as preterm labour, low birth weight and infant mortality.
FYI: Dietary iron absorption is low in vegans and vegetarians. This is because in plant-based diets most dietary iron is non-haem iron, and its absorption is often less than 10%. This is much lower than meat which is haem iron, where absorption is 15-35%. If you are vegan or vegetarian click here for more ways on how to increase Iron absorption in Vegans and Vegetarians.
- Healthier Skin:
Green leafy Veg such as spinach are great sources of phytonutrients such as lutein, vitamin C and beta carotene which can improve skin health health and appearance.
- More Energy:
Spinach is a good source of iron. This is important to prevent fatigue and reduced work performance.
- Support Immune Function:
Consumption of iron-containing foods such as spinach can help to prevent anaemia and reduce susceptibility to infections.
With so many health benefits it’s no wonder why Popeye loved spinach so much!
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are full of nutrients. They can be baked, barbecued, fried, mashed, roasted or steamed to create a tasty piece of tucker! They are rich in beta carotene, vitamin C and fibre with many health benefits, including:
- Be Healthier:
Sweet potatoes are rich in carotenoids, which help to protect against heart disease and cancer.
- Healthy Gut:
One large sweet potato contains around 7g of fibre which is 23% of the recommended daily fibre intake. As a good source of fibre, sweet potato promotes a healthy microbiome.
Make sure to keep the skin on to retain the benefits of fibre!
- Healthier Skin:
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene which can improve skin health and appearance.
- Support Immune Function:
Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin C to help with wound healing and fighting infection.
Enjoy sweet potatoes in roasts, bakes, warm salads or pastas to boost the goodness in your next meal!
Tomatoes
I’m feeling good from my head TO-MA-TOES. Why? Because tomatoes are jam-packed full of goodness, as you can see:
- Be Healthier:
Tomatoes are a rich source of the carotenoid Lycopene. Research has shown that diets rich in lycopene is associated with reduced risk of certain cancers, particularly prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and cancers of the digestive tract.
- Healthier Skin:
Tomatoes are considered beneficial to Healthier Skin and the high lycopene and beta-carotene content may protect against sunburn.
Tomatoes are high in healthy phytonutrients and can be a valuable part of a healthy diet so enjoy some with pasta, in a salad or in a veggie frittata.
