What are the best antioxidant foods?
With such a variety of choices of foods rich in antioxidants, which are the best antioxidant foods?
In my opinion, there are not just one or two foods you should be eating to fight those free radicals. Rather, eating a combination of several foods will establish a strong groundwork in your system and of course, not allow you to become complacent and bored about trying to eat as much of one or two foods as you possibly can.
Here I will talk about several of the best antioxidant rich foods that you can enjoy on a regular basis without them becoming mundane and distasteful. In fact, these are foods I actually thoroughly enjoy a great deal, they taste delicious!
Berries, dark chocolate, nuts (pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts), broccoli, cauliflower and garlic are the ones I will focus on in this article. Not only are these foods some of the absolute best antioxidant foods in the world, they are all mouth-watering and can easily be incorporated into delightful recipes and snacks!
Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries.. the list goes on! Without doubt, berries are known to be some of the best antioxidants in the world. And snacking on berries during the day is a fantastic way to beat hunger pains and be healthy at the same time.
Recipe tip: Combine as many types of berries as you like with low fat frozen yoghurt and some ice into a blender and blend well for a yummy, thick, healthy antioxidant rich smoothie.
Dark Chocolate
Mmmm I hear you say, you are recommending that I eat chocolate?? Yes, that's right! However, only dark chocolate should be consumed. They say dark chocolate lowers blood pressure as well as being a potent antioxidant. Milk and white chocolate are not in the same category though, so stick to dark chocolate when you have a craving.
Eating dark chocolate should be kept in moderation for obvious reasons. For an exquisite snack (and a double antioxidant hit), melt some dark chocolate and take some strawberries and dip them into the chocolate - you'll never want to stop!
Nuts
Walnuts, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts and just three of the varieties you can consume to boost antioxidant levels. Nuts are one of the best antioxidant sources and you can easily incorporate these nuts into your diet by simply having a small bowl in a handy location at all times. I like to keep one on my desk at work where I can snack throughout the day - just be wary, some nuts are extremely high in salt, so don't overdo it!
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Broccoli and Cauliflower are two of the absolute best antioxidant sources. In addition, many other vegetables are as well, for example sweet potatoes.
When cooking vegetables, it is vital not to overcook, as this will rob the food of its antioxidant properties - so lightly steaming or microwaving broccoli and cauliflower works a treat and tastes divine!
Garlic
Nature's cure for just about everything also applies to fighting free radicals. Garlic has been proven to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and of course, boost your antioxidant levels.
My favorite way to eat garlic is garlic bread. Just mix some low fat butter with garlic, then spread on bread and bake for 15 minutes - delicious!
There are so many "best antioxidant foods" widely available that it's almost impossible NOT to be filing yourself with antioxidants on a daily basis. With a little attention and effort however, we can double or triple our regular intake while still enjoying an excellent array of delicious foods.