Healthy Foods To Incorporate Into Your Diet

In addition to fruits and vegetables, there are a variety of other foods that are full of healthy nutrients that you can incorporate into your diet. Being a picky eater does not mean that you can’t eat nutritious foods, it simply means that you may have to be more creative in how you incorporate those foods into your diet.

High-fiber Foods

Foods that are high in fiber are good for your heart and are generally low in calories. Many high-fiber vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini and green peppers, can be added to soups, stews, sauces and casseroles without altering the flavor much, if at all. To disguise the flavor, try pureeing the cooked vegetables in a blender before adding them to the sauce or soup.

These vegetables can also be shredded and added to sandwiches, wraps and salads in small amounts. You likely will not even notice that they are there. As you get used to having them as an ingredient, you can gradually increase the amount that you add. High-fiber breads, muffins, pastas and cereals can often replace your current choices without altering the taste too much.

Almonds

Almonds are a very healthy food choice that can easily be incorporated into your diet even if you don’t like snacking on nuts. Almonds are high in omegs-3 fatty acids and healthy monounsaturated fats, which are essential for good nutrition. Almonds are very versatile and can be added to other dishes in small amounts. Chopped almonds can be added to salads or sprinkled on top of cereal or yogurt. Almond butter can replace peanut butter for sandwiches and snacks. Almond milk is a healthy alternative to dairy and other milks. They can be chopped and added to baked good before cooking.

Berries

Berries are an excellent source of fiber and they contain very high levels of antioxidants. They can be eaten whole by the handful or added to yogurt, cereal and salads. All berries have health improving qualities, especially blueberries, raspberries and cranberries. Dried berries are a good alternative to whole berries for picky eaters who do not like the texture of whole fruits. Berries can easily be thrown into the blender along with some milk or yogurt and other fruits to create a delicious yet healthy smoothie. They can also be pureed in the blender and used as an ingredient in baked goods such as muffins, pastries and breads.

Brown Rice

Brown rice is a much healthier alternative to the traditional white rice that is used in so many recipes. Picky eaters may have a difficult time switching to brown rice because of the noticeable change in taste and texture. To make the transition easier, try adding some of your favorite vegetables in addition to healthy spices and flavorings to create a tasty brown rice dish that you can enjoy. You can even enjoy brown rice in dessert form by making traditional rice pudding and simply substituting the brown rice for the white rice.

Chocolate

If chocolate is on your list of favorite foods, you may be excited to know that as long as it is dark chocolate, you can go ahead and continue to consume it. If the dark chocolate contains a high cocoa content, at least 70 percent, it is high in antioxidants that are good for your heart, blood pressure and overall health. Adding chocolate to recipes is an effective way to add flavor to foods that you might not normally consume. If you don’t like oatmeal but want to incorporate it into your diet because of its health benefits, try adding some shaved dark chocolate to your oats during cooking. Chocolate shavings can also be sprinkled on yogurt or added to baked goods.