GREENS, BLUES, REDS AND ORANGES…… This is THE news!!!!
If you have your antenna up at all, the news is in your face all of the time – OUR DIETS SHOULD BE COMPRISED MOSTLY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. The Front Page of the NYT was touting the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet just today! Fruits and Vegetables were right behind olive oil, nuts, beans and fish. I don’t think they meant them in that order…… (Funny, I didn’t see croissants, brioche, cheesecake, tiramisu or cheese listed there????) I am constantly fascinated by the information being generated near and far about the relative nutritional value of foods, the super foods and how we can maximize health, minimize the effects of aging, and fight cancer and other serious disease through managing the nutritional value of what we eat. I know, I know, there are so many mixed messages in the food world today and believe me, I know that my passion for baking does not dovetail at all with the optimal intake of nutritionally dense foods! So, ok, I do what I do, indulge my passions and fun around food, BUT at the same time, I pursue the goal of maximizing intelligence around food choice.
Do you know your ANDI Scores???? I found just reading this to be helpful – being aware is the first step……And, if after careful consideration of the typical American diet you feel that your nutrient-density intake is low, well, you are not alone. Major offenders???? Chips, Processed Foods of all kinds, soft drinks, the “white” food group (bread, pasta, rice), dairy, and alcohol. Just FYI. So do yourself a little inventory.
I found this good succinct info on nutrient dense foods: Source: WholeFoodsMarket.com
Top Ten ANDI Scores
ANDI stands for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.” An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.
GREEN VEGETABLES
| Vegetable | ANDI Score |
| 1. Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens | 1000 |
| 2. Kale | 1000 |
| 3. Watercress | 1000 |
| 4. Bok Choy/Baby Bok Choy | 824 |
| 5. Spinach | 739 |
| 6. Broccoli Rabe | 715 |
| 7. Chinese/Napa Cabbage | 704 |
| 8. Brussels Sprouts | 672 |
| 9. Swiss Chard | 670 |
| 10. Arugula | 559 |
NON-GREEN VEGETABLES
| Vegetable | ANDI Score |
| 1. Radish | 554 |
| 2. Bean Sprouts | 444 |
| 3. Red Pepper | 366 |
| 4. Radicchio | 359 |
| 5. Turnip | 337 |
| 6. Carrot | 336 |
| 7. Cauliflower | 295 |
| 8. Artichoke | 244 |
| 9. Tomato | 190 |
| 10. Butternut Squash | 156 |
FRUIT
| Fruit | ANDI Score |
| 1. Strawberries | 212 |
| 2. Blackberries | 178 |
| 3. Plum | 157 |
| 4. Raspberries | 145 |
| 5. Blueberries | 130 |
| 6. Papaya | 118 |
| 7. Orange | 109 |
| 8. Cantaloupe | 100 |
| 9. Kiwi | 97 |
| 10. Watermelon | 91 |
| 11. Peach | 73 |
| 12. Apple | 72 |
| 13. Cherries | 68 |
| 14. Pineapple | 64 |
| 15. Apricot | 60 |
Beans
| Vegetable | ANDI Score |
| 1. Lentils | 104 |
| 2. Red Kidney Beans | 100 |
| 3. Great Northern Beans | 94 |
| 4. Adzuki Beans | 84 |
| 5. Black Beans | 83 |
| 6. Black-Eyed Peas | 82 |
| 7. Pinto Beans | 61 |
| 8. Edamame | 58 |
| 9. Split Peas | 58 |
| 10. Chickpeas (Garbanzos) | 57 |
Nuts & Seeds
| Nuts & Seeds | ANDI Score |
| 1. Sunflower Seeds | 78 |
| 2. Sesame Seeds | 65 |
| 3. Flax Seeds | 65 |
| 4. Pumpkin Seeds | 52 |
| 5. Pistachios | 48 |
| 6. Pecans | 41 |
| 7. Almonds | 38 |
| 8. Walnuts | 34 |
| 9. Hazelnuts | 32 |
| 10. Cashews | 27 |
Let’s put it this way, after reading the above list, I actually don’t think that subsisting on these foods 100% of the time would be a bad thing – there are many yummy, yummy items there to indulge in!!!!!!
You’ll notice that the Avocado is not listed here, but it is now officially considered a Super Food – more to come on this in another post!
Ok, so I have not been very diligent about my eating lately. But, I am constantly trying to “improve”. There are many paths to take to improvement. We can make radical change and be uncompromising in exclusively eating certain foods and none of others – an avenue which is very difficult to stick to, or we can try to incorporate more of the best foods from above in our daily diets and decrease those, um, not so great foods. In pursuit of improvement, I went looking for some recipes I actually would want to eat on a regular basis which would reflect the ANDI scores which I find “beneficial”. The critical operative word here: MANAGE!
Here are a few ideas to try: (I have realized there are problems with my links – so I am just giving you the addresses and you can cut and paste into your google bar.)
Let’s just say that eating any quantities of the above foods more often than not is a good place to start. And, I do do this with certain ones in particular:
– Kale, Kale and Kale – is there anything we hear more about?
– Roasted Beets – drizzled with olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar – not in the top 10 but delish!
– Fresh Peaches – in season, nothing better
– Mixed Berries – my third favorite no-guilt dessert
– A Bowl of Fresh Cherries – my fourth favorite no-guilt dessert
And, check these out:
– Cherries, Cherries, Cherries…….www.huffingtonpost.com/…/cherry–recipes_n_1587556.html
– Ellie Krieger’s Tuscan Vegetable Soup – http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/tuscan-vegetable-soup-recipe/index.html
– A list of popular recipes which incorporate nutrient density into their planning: http://blog.yumprint.com/2012/10/the-ten-most-nutrient-dense-recipes-on.html
– Some good ideas from Health.com: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306841,00.html
– The Pomegranate: via Huffington Post: www.huffingtonpost.com/…/pomegranate-recipes_n_1086721.html
– A good idea: http://azestforlife.com/blog/roasted-butternut-squash-filled-melange-wild-rice-squashes-dried-cherries-and-pine-nuts
You will note that many of the recipes in the above links are not totally healthy, but rather will help you incorporate some of the top ANDI foods into your repertoire. One step in the right direction.
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– And, perhaps for tonight (courtesy Health.com):
NOTE: You’ll note that this recipe includes a lot of “sugar”. I am going to try using Agave syrup and some white balsamic instead.
Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken with Blackberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 pint blackberries
Preparation
1. In a medium saucepan, simmer the first 6 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) until reduced by half and just syrupy (15-20 minutes). Reserve 2 tablespoons of sauce for brushing on chicken; cool the remaining sauce slightly, then gently toss with blackberries.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Place chicken on grill, and cook 5 minutes per side. Brush chicken with the reserved sauce; grill just until chicken is glazed. Serve with blackberries.
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And so, the crusade goes on. I guess I can say I am relatively educated and so can’t use that as an excuse. More reading for you? Anything by Joel Fuhrman, MD.
I plan on having fun trying some of these ideas and making up more of my own combinations. Remember, Spring is not far away and we will be able to visit the Farmer’s Markets very soon. Happy Face!
P.S. You will notice that my blogging frequency has decreased significantly since you know who arrived back home. Hmmmmm……trying to do better!
(Sorry, my site is not formatting correctly today!)