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The Top Twelve Family Foods (July 27, 2005)
by Dr. William Sears
Admittedly, any "top food" list will have a bit of bias based on personal preferences, but we have
tried to honor certain criteria in selecting our top twelve. We believe that the key to healthy
eating is to fill your plate with foods that provide high quality nutrition, those foods which are
most nutrient dense. This means foods that pack a lot of nutrition
alongside relatively few fats and calories. To be on our list, a food must do the following:
Supply a significant amount of nutrition per serving
Supply nutrients vital to bodily functions
Supply nutrients that keep you healthy
Be versatile (able to be prepared in a variety of tasty ways)
Be readily available at a reasonable price
Contain minimal amounts of substances that may be harmful to health (e.g.
hydrogenated fats, saturated fats, added sugars)
These foods are listed in alphabetical order, not ranked according to which are the most
nutritious.
| TOP FOOD |
IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS |
| Avocado |
B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin E |
| Chickpeas (especially tasty when made into
hummus) |
protein, fiber, folic acid, vitamin B-6, calcium,
zinc, and iron |
| Eggs |
protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B-12,
folic acid |
| Fish (salmon, tuna) |
protein, niacin, vitamin B-12, zinc, iron,
omega-3 fatty acids |
| Flax seeds and flax oil |
omega-3 fatty acids, seeds also rich in protein,
fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin |
| Kidney Beans |
protein, fiber, thiamin, folic acid, calcium,
zinc, iron |
| Lentils |
protein, fiber, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, folic
acid, iron; most intestines-friendly legume |
| Sweet potatoes |
fiber, vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C,
riboflavin, phytonutrients |
| Tofu (firm) |
protein, fiber, vitamin A, thiamin, folic acid,
calcium, zinc, iron, unsaturated fats, anti-
cancer phytonutrients |
| Tomatoes |
vitamin A, vitamin C, health-promoting
phytonutrients, especially lycopene |
| Whole grains |
protein, fiber, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin, vitamin B-12, folic acid, zinc, iron |
| Yogurt (plain, nonfat) |
protein, calcium, zinc, folic acid, riboflavin,
Lactobacilli for colon health
|
| HONORABLE MENTION |
| Almonds |
protein, fiber, riboflavin, calcium, zinc, iron,
vitamin E, unsaturated fats |
| Artichokes |
protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin,
riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, calcium, zinc, and
iron |
| Broccoli |
vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, beta carotene,
anti-cancer phytonutrients |
| Cantaloupe |
carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, beta
carotene |
| Garlic |
heart-healthy and anticancer phytonutrients |
| Orange |
fiber, calcium, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin C,
carotenoids |
| Papaya |
fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, carotenoids |
| Peanut butter |
protein, fiber, niacin, zinc, vitamin E |
| Peppers (sweet and hot) |
vitamin A, vitamin C, B-6, health-promoting
phytonutrients, folic acid |
| Pink grapefruit |
vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids |
| Sunflower seeds |
protein, unsaturated fats, fiber, niacin, folic
acid, zinc, iron, vitamin E, selenium |
| Turkey |
protein, niacin, B-12, zinc, iron |
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