It’s never too late to start eating more healthily, whether you’re incorporating more fresh fruit and veg into your diet or adding delicious nutrient packed wholefoods to your shopping basket. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring, and it is easy to add flavourful ingredients to your cooking while avoiding heavily processed rubbish. Here are our picks for the best healthy products you should add to your shopping list. Buckwheat Buckwheat is a phenomenal superfood, loaded with antioxidants, fibre and protein it is a must have for any healthy pantry. Despite the name, buckwheat is not actually a grain nor is it related to wheat but rather a seed of a plant similar to rhubarb and sorrel. Much like quinoa, buckwheat is a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids, that can be incredibly hard to find outside of animal based proteins. Alongside its incredible protein content, buckwheat is also rich in manganese, copper and phosphorus, all of which are vital in maintaining healthy bones. Not only is buckwheat so nutritionally well rounded, but it is also an incredibly easy to prepare ingredient, and a great rice or even porridge alternative. Lentils Lentils are a perfect addition to any healthy diet, particularly if you are looking to increase your protein and iron intake while remaining plant based. Low in carbohydrates and saturated fats, lentils really have no downside, their high phosphorus, calcium and B vitamin content really elevate them to an incredibly well rounded protein. Lentils are also incredibly versatile, helping to bulk out sauces and curries in place of animal proteins, while also being a staple ingredient in its own right, particularly in Indian and Mediterranean cuisines. Black Beans Black beans have an incredible amount of antioxidants that alone justify their place on your shopping list, however they also contain a great deal of protein and fibre to really help them stand out as an excellent wholefood. The main source of antioxidants in black beans are the anthocyanins that give them their signature black colour (also found in blueberries, blackcurrents and red grapes). Alongside their terrific antioxidant contents, black beans also have a very low glycaemic index, which means that once eaten their energy is very slowly released to keep you fuelled for longer and minimise the need for snacking in between meals. Almonds Almonds are incredibly popular all over the world, primarily for their distinctive sweet “marzipan” flavour, however they are also one of the healthiest nuts you can buy. Packed full of healthy essential fatty acids, almonds are a great way to reduce your low density lipoproteins (also known as bad cholesterol) while also significantly reducing appetite. Almonds also contain riboflavin and L-carnitine, two nutrients that are vital for brain health. If their health benefits weren’t enough, the sheer number of uses for almonds should be. From snacking straight from the bag to baking to milk alternatives, there isn’t much that almonds can't do. Avocados Avocados are a truly brilliant fruit, not only are they a delicious (and trendy) breakfast, they are also remarkably healthy. Avocados themselves contain numerous antioxidants, however the fatty acids they contain also aid in the absorption of fat soluble nutrients from other foods. Avocados also contain lutein, a much needed antioxidant used to support your eyesight, as well as omega 9 fatty acids that have been shown to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and even dementia! Alongside all of these subtle benefits, avocado is also incredibly easy to cook with, and is often a perfect accompaniment to a main meal, or as a healthy snack in its own right. Kimchi Kimchi is a korean food consisting of fermented cabbage, salt and chilli flakes (sometimes with fish sauce, although this varies), and it really is one of the healthiest fermented foods you can eat. Possibly best known for its benefits towards gut health, kimchi is a great source of probiotics and fibre. As well as its incredible probiotic content, kimchi is also a great source of vitamins A,B,C and K, as well as phosphorus, calcium and iron. However, like most fermented foods, kimchi can be quite high in salt, so it is important to balance your consumption of it carefully. Dates Dates are a delicious healthy fruit that is a great alternative to a sickly sweet dessert. Dates are obviously packed full of fibre and great for digestion, however they also have a great abundance of vitamins and minerals. Rich in potassium, magnesium and copper, dates have been shown to significantly aid both gut and heart health. While dates might be best known as an ingredient in or alternative to desserts, they are also an incredibly useful ingredient for counteracting acidic foods, making them a perfect accompaniment to a salad or cheese board. Oat Milk Possibly the most popular dairy milk alternative, oat milk is an excellent vegan option, in both drinks and cooking. Not only is oat milk suitable for vegans however, it also comes with a litany of health benefits that makes it a worthy replacement of cow's milk. Vitamin B can be quite hard to obtain on a vegan or plant based diet, but luckily oat milk contains vitamin B2 and B12, which is vital for our red blood cells. As oat milk is obviously made from oats, it also has a great deal more fibre than traditional dairy milk, while also having absolutely zero cholesterol. Tofu Tofu (or soya bean curd) is a pantry must have, made from condensed soy milk, tofu is an exceptional source of protein. Much like buckwheat and quinoa, tofu is a plant based complete protein, and is possibly the closest (nutritionally) that one can get to animal based proteins. However not only is tofu nutrient and protein dense, it is also an incredibly versatile protein. On its own tofu is essentially flavourless, which may sound like a disadvantage but in reality this allows tofu to take on the taste of whatever it is marinated in, making it a perfect meat substitute for almost any dish. Whilst a block of tofu can be a little overwhelming to those who haven’t cooked with it before, it is actually deceptively easy. For the best results I recommend making sure the tofu is sufficiently drained, and leaving it to stand for a significant amount of time before seasoning and cooking however you’d like. These products are a perfect starting point for supercharging your diet with nutrients. However there are thousands of delicious wholefoods that will leave you feeling healthier and make your cooking taste even better, all without breaking the bank.
