6 ESSENTIAL FOODS

Celery: This water-loaded vegetable has a reputation for being all crunch and no nutrition. But ditch that mindset because it contains stealth nutrients that can help in healing.

How to eat it: Try this low-carbohydrate, protein packed recipe for a perfect snack any time of the day. Take a bowl, mix a 125 gm of low-sodium tuna (rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup of finely chopped apple, 2 tablespoons of fat-free mayonnaise, and some fresh ground pepper. Then spoon the mixture into celery stalks. Makes 2 servings.

Seaweed: Seaweeds are basically of four classes namely: green, brown, red, and blue-green. They are all packed with plenty of healthy nutrients. 

How to eat it: In sushi, of course. You can also buy sheets of dried seaweed at groceries. Use a coffee grinder to grind the sheets into a powder. Then use the powder as a healthy salt substitute which is in turn great for seasoning salads and soups.

Hemp Seeds: These seeds are not for smoking!! They provide many medicinal benefits.

 

How to eat them: Toss 2 tablespoons of the seeds into your oatmeal or stir-fry. Or add them to your post workout shake for an extra dose of muscle-building protein.

Scallops: Perhaps these mollusks are considered guilty by association, since they often appear in decadent restaurant meals that are overloaded with calories.

 

How to eat them: The fastest and easiest way to prepare this seafood is to sear the scallops. Sear the scallops until the bottoms are caramelized for about 2 minutes, and then flip them to sear for another 1 to 2 minutes, depending on size and thickness. Now they are ready to eat. Place them on a bed of brown rice and enjoy!!

Dark Meat: Yes, dark meat has more fat than white meat, but have you ever considered what is the actual difference? The extra fat in dark turkey or chicken meat raises your levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that makes you feel fuller, longer.

 

How to eat it: Just enjoy, but be conscious of your total portion sizes. Limit yourself to 225 gm or less at any one sitting, which provides up to 423 calories. Eat that with a big serving of vegetables, and you’ll have a flavorful fat-loss meal. 

Lentils: Its no surprise that these hearty legumes are very much essential for you. Boiled lentils have about 16 grams of belly-filling fiber in every cup. Cooked lentils also contain 27 % more VITAMINS per cup than cooked spinach does.

 

How to eat it: Use lentils as a bed for chicken, fish, or beef, they make a great substitute for rice or pasta. Pour 4 cups of chicken stock into a large pot. Add 1 cup of red or brown lentils and a half cup each of onion and carrot chunks, along with 3 teaspoons of minced garlic. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the lentils until they’re tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the lentils from the heat, add a splash of red-wine vinegar, and serve.