| Avocados | These fruits, native to South America, are known for their rich, buttery flavor and silky texture. They have more protein and fat than any other fruit, with a single avocado weighing in at about 300 calories. But their fat is the healthy unsaturated kind, and they also contain a substance called beta-sitoserol that helps lower cholesterol. Avocados can and should be part of a balanced diet. Since they are high in fat and calories, proceed with caution, but try replacing mayonnaise with mashed avocado on sandwiches, or place in blender with lowfat yogurt and use as salad dressing. Avocados are the base for guacamole, which has enough flavor and richness to replace both cheese and sour cream in burritos or tacos. Slice avocados into salads, or try them sliced on toast and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar in the morning. Avocados are ripe when they're just soft--if you slice into them too early, they'll be hard and flavorless; too late, they'll be mushy and unappealing. |
| Bananas | One of the world's oldest cultivated fruits, bananas are native to Southeast Asia, though they're now grown in over 100 countries around the world. Inexpensive and available year-round, bananas are a staple fruit. Kid-friendly and easy to work into your diet, bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. Potassium is known to regulate blood pressure and acts as a natural diuretic, helping the body excrete water and sodium. Potassium and magnesium both contribute to bone density. Bananas are a standard ingredient for smoothies because they blend |
| Beans and Legumes | Beans and legumes, which come the seed pods of plants, are some of the oldest foods. Some date back 4,000 years. Beans are a good source of protein and complex carbohydrates and are high in fiber, which makes them good candidates for your diet if you're trying to lose weight or help prevent certain diseases. Some beans are also high in minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and iron. A half-cup of cooked beans has the same amount of protein as an ounce of meat, without the saturated fat; in fact, beans have very little fat at all. Though some beans must be soaked overnight and then cooked for a few hours until they're ready to eat, others, like lentils, cook easily in under an hour. Beans are a staple food in cuisines around the world, and lend themselves well to all sorts of flavors. |
| Beef | Red meat from cows, beef is a rich source of easily absorbed iron, an essential mineral during pregnancy. But since red meat is also relatively high in saturated fat, add it to your diet during pregnancy but be sure to stick to the three-ounce serving size?and don't eat it every night. Furthermore, seek out beef that's been naturally raised and even grass-fed; grass fed beef is higher in omega-3 fatty acids than corn-fed beef. Some cuts of beef are leaner than others. Flank steaks and skirt steaks are relatively lean and take well to all sorts of preparations, including grilling and stir-frying. |
| Beets | Beets: Native to the Mediterranean and Western Europe, these root vegetables are available summer through winter, but their earthy aroma and flavor makes them especially appealing in the fall. Beets get their brilliant red color from pigments called betacyanins, the same pigment to color the tropical bougainvillea flower. Betacyanins haven't been studied as closely as the more familiar anthocyanins, but one unproven theory is that they can inhibit certain tumors. Beets also contain folate and plenty of fiber, which makes them a solid addition to your diet in raw or cooked form. Roast beets with the skins on to avoid staining your hands. Add peeled and sliced beets to salads tossed with blue cheese and walnuts, or serve beets as a side dish just tossed with a simple viniagrette. Beets are also the base for the Russian borscht, and are often pressed and drank in juice form. They are great blended with carrot and ginger for an energizing, cleansing blend. Beet greens are nutritious, too, and can be steamed or chopped and added to soups, much like chard. |
