9 of the Best Foods to Keep You Healthy in the New Year The Mayo Clinic

Whether you believe in having new years resolutions or not, being healthy (especially in the beginning of the new year) is very important. It's especially important to be aware of the foods that will naturally help you stay healthy.

We get asked a lot about healthy eating (even though sometimes it's not our favorite subject) and it seems as though the questions increase during the new year. Most people have resolutions to either get in shape, stay in shape, or just have an over all better understanding of what foods are the best for you. Luckily, I came across a great list from the Mayo Clinic &mdash and it's great to know that most of us are probably eating these items every week!

&bull Apples: Source of Pectin and Vitamin C.
&bull Almonds: Full of fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. Helps to lower blood cholesterol.
&bull Blueberries: Great source of Vitamin C and fiber.
&bull Broccoli: Packed with calcium, potassium, folate and fiber. Broccoli also contains phytonutrients (aids in prevention of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers).
&bull Red Beans: Contains iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and thiamin. Can help prevent chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
&bull Salmon: Known for its Omega-3 Fatty Acids that are known to help prevent sudden cardiac death, decrease triglyceride levels, decrease the growth of artery-clogging plaques, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke.
&bull Garlic: Natural Antioxidant.
&bull Sweet Potatoes: Full of the antioxidant beta carotene, fiber, vitamins B-6, C and E, folate and potassium.
&bull Wheat Germ: Concentrated source of nutrients, including niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc. A super food if you will.

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Comments (13)

Thanks for the list, it is handy and easy to remember. Now I just need to look into some ways to get wheat germ in my diet, as this is the one thing on this list that I never eat.

Like the above poster, I get all of these in my diet on a daily if not weekly basis but never really got into wheat germ. I purchased some Bob's Red Mill a while back and it had a off-putting taste to me. Perhaps it was rancid? I'll have to give it another try.

Hmm, I also don't regularly eat wheat germ but might start.

Rosebud--when I was a kid, my hippie mom kept our wheat germ in the freezer, maybe because it spoils easily. I think we ate it on yogurt, but I bet it would be nice on hot cereal.

I keep my wheat germ in the fridge and love the nutty flavor. Most common ways to incorporate it are in cereal, oatmeal, and yogurt. They are also often a granola bar ingredient as the little bits help keep everything together.

Regarding wheat germ, I usually look for granola or muffin recipes that use it and incorporate it that way. Otherwise I'd never eat it. It's also good for yogurt, but I usually save blueberries for that.

would love for a post or 2 about wheat germ friendly recipes!

I don't often use wheat germ either, but when I do it's generally in muffins or granola or baked into bread (even if I'm already using whole wheat flour, I like the added texture of the wheat germ). Does anyone know if that affects the nutrients significantly?

I second the request for wheat germ recipes-- ones that use more than a few tablespoons would be especially appreciated. I bought some for a bread recipe but I'm going to have to make that recipe about 10 times to use up my bag of wheat germ!

the easiest wheat germ recipe I know is from my childhood: cut a banana into thick chunks, and roll in the wheat germ. yum!

I make granola, it's basically a load of dry ingredients (rolled oats, fruits, nuts, seeds) mixed into an oil/honey/maple syrup mix, and then baked/toasted in the oven. Would wheat germ be ok mixed in with this prior to the toasting bit, or would I be better off making the granola as per usual and sprinkling a bit of wheatgerm over it when I eat it (with yoghurt) ?

Basically, is wheatgerm better for you raw or cooked, and does the flavour change significantly either way?

I always add wheat germ to my granola before baking- around 1 cup per 6 cups of oats.
Tastes nutty and delicious.
I can't speak for what it does to the nutritional value however.

While trying to boost my daughter's immunity last winter, I helped her get into the habit of a daily healthy smoothie as an after school snack. We added 1 T. of wheat germ & 1 t. of flaxseed oil to the mixture each day. They both mixed in so well, I would suggest it for anyone trying to find ways to add it to their diet.
~

something i discovered since living in Hungary is this wheat germ pudding (csiramale). We buy it at certain grocer ; so , I haven't an English recipe.

You may read more about it here :-
http://csiramale.hu/Angol/index2.html