If you were one of the 99.9 percent of people who have no idea what the difference is between extra-virgin, virgin, extra-extra virgin, and so on well, apparently it matters. Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olive, meaning its nutrients and phytochemical content is kept more-or-less intact. Olive oil has monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are great for your heart, along with vitamin E and phenolics that can act as anti-inflammatories. Among other things, olive oil can help prevent blood clotting and heart attacks, high blood pressure, and has even been shown to lower the risks of breast cancer and cancers of the digestive tract.
Most nuts are a great source of protein, and are great for a quick snack or to mix into meals. Some, like walnuts, peanuts, almonds and cashews are packed with zinc, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids –hard to come by outside of the meat world. Others, like almonds, are also rich in calcium and fiber. The best news is that the tough job of digesting nuts helps burn calories and makes you feel full faster, meaning you won’t feel like a beached whale after eating a bagful. Studies show that people who incorporate a lot of nuts in their diet have an easier time losing weight, and keeping it off.
Nature’s mayonaise (seriously, try spreading it on a sandwich instead of the globular monstrosity of mayo and see for yourself), avocados are packed with nearly 20 nutrients that all vegetarians should be getting. Fiber, potassium, vitamin E, B-vitamins, folic acid…the list goes on and on. They’re also packed with healthy monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat, and can help boost your ability absorb more fat-soluble nutrients. The American Heart Association loves avocado for its ability to help lower cholesterol, and you should too.
This is seriously good stuff. Low in fat and completely lacking cholesterol, legumes are packed with folate, potassium, iron, magnesium, and beneficial fats and fiber, not to mention tons of protein. Lentils are especially hearty and can make you forget there’s no meat in the dish, but you should also try out chickpeas, edamame, black beans, and really any other bean you can get your hands on. Not to mention the fact that a giant bag of beans costs you about $2, so you can get your legume on without breaking the bank.
Quinoa is truly a superfood, and its recent popularity is justified. Not only does it contain more protein than any other grain, but it’s also a great way to get your daily doses of vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, potassium, and riboflavin, along with copper, zinc, magnesium, and folate. One caveat: it’s important to buy fair trade quinoa, (you’ll know from the label) as farmers in its native Andean region in Bolivia and Peru are often exploited for the crop. If you make a conscious decision to get the good stuff, you can enjoy the delicious nutty flavors of quinoa guilt-free!
Eggs are made out to be a villain from time to time, as their yolks contain a fair amount of cholesterol. But what you may not have heard is that they actually have the good kind of cholesterol that doesn’t raise your blood level of cholesterol, and can actually increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which is good for your heart. They’re also packed with dietary choline, which can help neurological function, and egg whites are excellent for a low-fat protein and amino acids. Maybe you shouldn’t be eating 10 yolks a day, but working a few into your diet isn’t a bad idea at all.
Fermented soybeans definitely don’t sound good, but trust me — they are when they’re tempeh. Much better for you than their often-confused-with sister tofu, tempeh is an excellent source of protein, dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids (which improve heart health, reduce hypertension, help alleviate symptoms from autoimmune disorders, and can even mitigate depression). Although it doesn’t exactly taste like meat, tempeh’s tough consistency allows you to throw it on the grill or shape it into patties, as it won’t fall apart. Don’t mock the tempeh burger until you’ve had one, my friend.
No, it’s not what you add to bread to make it rise (and what Jews crave during Passover). Nutritional yeast is actually a living microorganism grown on sugarcane and beet molasses that is then killed or deactivated by heat, and then harvested, dried, and packaged. It may sound gross, but it’s packed with protein and other minerals, and gives whatever you sprinkle it on a nice cheesy taste. And you can really add it to anything — vegetables, pizza, popcorn, soup, or whatever you’re in the mood for!
We’ve been told to eat our vegetables all our lives, but there are a few that more important than others. Broccoli, spinach, and kale in particular are excellent sources of vitamins A, C, E, and B (and probably X, Y, and Z once they’re discovered), along with manganese, copper, calcium and iron. Iron is especially hard to come by in vegetarian diets. Low in calories and containing hardly any fat, leafy greens help slow the digestion of other foods, allowing you to absorb more nutrients from whatever you eat afterwards. Basically having a salad to start isn’t such a bad idea.
Since we’ve already pitched tempeh and edamame, and you’re most likely getting soy by the handful, it’s not a bad idea to allow some dairy into your diet in the form of non-fat or 1-percent milk. It’s stocked with calcium, potassium, and protein, alongside a host of other vitamins and minerals. Milk has also been shown to help control your eating, so having a glass or a bowl of cereal at breakfast isn’t a bad idea to help you with your diet throughout the day. And to those who have heard that milk can cause you to develop kidney stones — that’s an urban legend. Rest easy.
