The Top 12 Family Foods

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
  California Avocado	B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, folate, fiber
  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
  Blueberries	rich source of antioxidants, blueberries are known as the brain berry
  Lentils	protein, fiber, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, folic acid, iron; most intestines-friendly legume
  Spinach	rich in folic acid, fiber, vitamin C and calcium
  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

  
  Don’t think your child is getting enough vitamins? Try Dr. Sears' Multivitamin Fruit Chews, to ensure your child is getting their daily requirement of vitamins.