World's Healthiest Foods

[Mystic]

Is there a particular vegan food (and I am talking about a whole food, not fortified chemical concoction) that has more nutrients/minerals than any other food?

[snivelingchild]

I have no idea, but if I were to guess, I'd guess brocolli. It's amazing.

[kriz]

Kale?

[Vora]

soy ? lentils ? spinach ?

[FR]

Kale, collard greens, wheat gluten, soya, blueberries, oranges, brazil nuts ... all pack some good nutrients. Although spinach has a lot of nutrition, it also has a high oxalate count which prevents the absorbtion of those nutrients. If you do consume spinach, you may want to consider eating citrus fruit with it. The vitamin c in citrus fruit aids in the absorbtion of the nutirents found in spinach.

[celtic rose]

Almonds: protein, fibre, calcium, iron, zinc, vit B2, vit E

[Poison Ivy]

For me it's Brown Rice and Wild Rice.

Brown Rice has (besides dietary fibre) Magnesium, Potassium and some B-Vitamin's

Wild Rice contains all nine essential Amino Acids.

Both types of rice are Gluten free and both can help lower cholesterol.

I love Rice

[cobainist403]

bamboo rice : )

[Evilfluffbunny]

I think quinoa (keen-wa) is the best as it's a complete protein since it contains all 8 amino acids. It's also full of iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and B vits and is low fat since it's a grain.

It's quite easy to cook (very like cous-cous) but it takes a bit longer, you can flavour it while it's soaking up the water.

[veganblue]

Brewers yeast - (someone had to say it) I am one of those incomprehensible people that love the stuff. The only other person I know that can eat it in large volumes is my father and he has no sense of smell...

I don't know why....it's supposed to be remarkably good - torula yeast is good too but I have heard that brewer's is the best...

[assilembob]

If you do consume spinach, you may want to consider eating citrus fruit with it. The vitamin c in citrus fruit aids in the absorbtion of the nutirents found in spinach.

Oh yeah for spinach and pinnapple juice. It is so freakin good.

I was thinking of things like nutritional yeast as well...and pretty much everyone took the words right out of my mouth...umm...sweet potatos are good.

I love a Kale, potato and mushroom dish. Very yummy and nutrient packed.

~Mel

[Tigerlily]

Really? You should eat citrus fruits with spinach. Ehhh...citrus fruits give me headaches.

[Kiva Dancer]

Bell peppers (red and yellow ones especialy) also have a goodly amount of vitamin C in them. If you can't manage with citrus, try bell peppers.

Here's some other sources of vitamin C you can explore as well.

[FR]

Really? You should eat citrus fruits with spinach. Ehhh...citrus fruits give me headaches.

Yeah, a nice spinach based salad with sliced oranges rocks!

[foxytina_69]

thats funny, before i even knew that iron needed vitamin c to absorb, i loved spinach and mandarin orange salads.

[Tigerlily]

Thanks Kiva! I always eat a lot of bell peppers...especially in spinach salads!

[John]

The potato, of course.

[Roxy]

Veganblue - how do you eat the brewer's yeast? By itself or do you mean you drink it in the form of beer?

[Wildflower]

My friend had a nutritionist who told her you can live on whole fat cow's milk and bananas, so I am going to say the Banana. They run TV ads calling it "Nature's Most Perfect Food."

I particurally love almonds, avacados, red peppers, black beans, spinach and tomatos.

[Kiva Dancer]

You're welcome, tigerlily!

I just thought of another one - chickpeas.

[veganblue]

Veganblue - how do you eat the brewer's yeast? By itself or do you mean you drink it in the form of beer?

It comes as a powder and I either mix it with a bit of oil and water to make a spread and have it on toast and sandwiches - preferrably with hot mustard - or just sprinkle the powder on 'buttered' toast - that's how my Dad eats it. Full of B vitamins.

I know a wonderful crazy guy who mixes a teaspoon with apple juice and gags it down. I can't think of anything worse!!!


It's also good sprinkled in soups and stews but be careful as it has a distinctive strong flavour.

[Roxy]

Hmmmmmm......that's interesting veganblue. I never knew you could eat it. Does it have a vegemitey kind of taste or is it a taste that you can't really describe?

[veganblue]

...Undescribable Roxy, it is definately savory, with an intense yeast flavour. The torula is not as strong but then is also not as great in content. Goes well with hot English mustard, not the vinegary American hotdog mustard - the *clear your sinus* hot mustard.

[FR]

Pomegranates

[Kiva Dancer]

Quinoa

[John]

It comes as a powder and I either mix it with a bit of oil and water to make a spread and have it on toast and sandwiches -

That's kind of how I eat it. I sprinkle it on toast and then pour flaxseed oil over it.

[Artichoke47]

It's spirulina.

[veganblue]

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

While not vegan, they are supportive of vegan and vegetarian diets to a large extent.

There is loads of useful extensive information and there is a more-than-average content on B12.

There is very little in the way of animal products in their listing of the world's healthiest foods.

[Tigerlily]

Thanks. I came across this site before. I love seasme seeds and I'm glad to know they are very very healthy!

I have a quick question: should I grind my seasme seeds (like how I would flax seeds) for better nutriontional absorption?

[piggy]

A great site!
I also like the history bits about the various foods.

Talking about ground sesame seeds, does anyone know whether sesame seeds loose their nutritional value in Halva?
I've been living for almost a year now in a city where there's none available, and I'm totally craving it...

[Tigerlily]

I don't think so. I remember reading the nutritional label on a halva package and it was still very high in protein and other nutrients.

[veganblue]

For raw spinach data looks very nutritious - but surprisingly high in sodium.

Halva would still have the goodness of the sesame seeds - calcium, protein and oils but just have it like confectionary since it is very high in sugar and fats - very energy dense. I find it hard to have more than a couple of small squares at any given time!

You could make your own halva using tahini and sugar - I am sure that there will be a web site...Halva

Halva is a confection or sweetmeat originating in the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean regions. It is made from ground sesame seeds, honey or sugar syrup, with other ingredients such as dried fruit, pistachio nuts, farina (semolina), and almonds sometimes added. Cinnamon and cardamom are also frequently added. The ingredients are blended together, and then heated and poured into bars or long loaves. The name means literally 'sweetmeat' and various forms of the word may be found in Turkish, Greek, Yiddish, Arabic, etc. (Helva, halva, halvah, halwa, halawi, etc.)

Tigerlily, tahini is like peanut butter - it is just ground sesame seeds and is a valuable ingredient in the kitchen for adding creamy textures to soups and stews, in making homous and babaganoush, (chickpea/garbanzo dip and eggplant/aubergine dip), as a spread on toast with mushed banana. Save your whole sesame seeds for in and on bread, making dukkah, toasting them for dipping sushi in or sprinkling them (toasted) over asian dishes for amazing tiny parcels of flavour. Also good in your cereal.

[FR]

Thanks. I came across this site before. I love seasme seeds and I'm glad to know they are very very healthy!

Yay for Tahini!

[FR]

Double yay for kale!

The beautiful leaves of the kale plant provide an earthy flavor and more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around. Although it can be found in markets throughout the year, it is in season from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring when it has a sweeter taste and is more widely available.

Kale is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables including cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts that have gained recent widespread attention due to their health promoting, sulfur-containing phytochemicals. It is easy to grow and can grow in colder temperatures where a light frost will produce especially sweet kale leaves.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...dspice&dbid=38

ETA: I think that site is great. I am happy to see my favorite foods are so nutrient dense and beneficial to ones health. So full of protein, calcium, essential vitamins, antioxidants, flavenoids, iron, zinc, folate, fiber, etc.

-Kale
-Blueberries
-Carrots
-Pumpkin Seeds
-Oranges
-Olive Oil
-Walnuts
-Spelt
-Brown Rice
-Soy
-Black Beans
-Maple Syrup
-Garlic
-Wheat

[Tigerlily]

I like tahini but it's high in fat and I'm on Weight Watchers so....sometimes I can't "afford" to eat it during my day.

[FR]

I did forget brocolli, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and chick peas on my list.

One major negative about that site is that they got their research results from companies who conducted experiments on animals.

[Pilaf]

All forms of berries are very rich in antioxidants. Tea is supposed to be but I abstain from it due to caffiene content (I don't consume the stuff anymore)

[coconut]

What about dates?! They must be super nutritious. I have no idea if they are, I just thought I'd give them a mention. Dates are truly one of the yummiest foods in existence

[Seaside]

Pomegranates!

[thecatspajamas1]

Beans have a lot of phytochemicals (I think that's the word).

Also, I like nutritional yeast because it has so many vitamins and good stuff in it and not high in calories. Most people put it over their food, but I like it by the spoonful.

[moochbabe]

ginger and garlic are known for their healing properties, and they are SUPER yummy, i can never get enough garlic...i put it by the clove-fulls, lol...hummus is also very good for u (so that means chikpeas and tahini...) also i say recently that peanut butter is one of the healthiest things u can eat, which makes me very happy because I eat a lot of it...sometimes by the spoonful...everyday!

[rantipole]

Pumpkin seeds are excellent for you. They are high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, magnesium, and other minerals.

Any of the whole grains have healthfu properties.

And let us not forget the tomato. It is rich in vitamin C and contains chemicals that ward off prostate cancer (and probably other cancers as well).

Cheers,
rant

[Camyle26]

There is a Trio combination that a company called AIM makes... don't know too much about them BUT it's as follows:

BEETS
CARROTS
BARLEY

They are supposed to have amazing healing properties and nutritional value.

[Savannah]

From my plant biologist flatmate, avocados, broccoli and spinach are the most nutritious veggies. Which is good cos I love them.

Also how many avocados do you think you should eat every week? I usually have 3-4, but I'm trying to watch my weight now and think I might have to cut down as they are full of fat (good fat but fat nonetheless).

[maya]

Flax seeds
Oats
Blueberries
Strawberries
Black beans The darker the bean’s seed coat, the higher its level of antioxidant activity. Gram for gram, black beans were found to have the most antioxidant activity.

[moochbabe]

wow, that was really cool about the bean thing, i never knew all that!