Superfoods Part V

With temperatures reaching the 70’s the past 2 days in New York City I would like to turn the theme of my Superfoods this week to summer treats.

1.  Red Bell Peppers – Not only are they sweet and crunchy, they promote optimal health. These peppers are good for your heart, lungs, and eyes, and they are incredibly high in the antioxidant vitamins C and A.

- How to Prepare: Slice them up and eat them plain, add some hummus or dip, use them to make a veggie burger, add them to salad or toss them into a sauce for extra flavor. These crunchy vegetables are a personal favorite of mine, and one cup of raw red pepper slices is only 25 calories.

2. Kiwi – This small fruit is jam packed with vitamin C, contains folate, potassium, fiber, caratenoids, polyphenols, chlorophyll, glutathione and pectin. Kiwis are an excellent source of vitamin E, a nutrient more commonly found in nuts and oils, which can be high in both fat and calories which will help your body fight off infection and illness.

- How to Prepare: Kiwi is a delicious, energizing snack that can be taken with you absolutely anywhere. Eat it alone as a snack, toss it in a salad or add it to a smoothie. This nutrient packed fruit contains about 93 calories for two kiwis.

3. Beets – I did not grow up eating Beets but I am sure making up for lost time now. Beets are a good source for vitamin C, fiber, Foliate, Potassium and Manganese.
How to Prepare: With summer just around the corner prepare chilled soups and try out a new salad recipe.  Roast a few beets and top with some goat cheese. A cup of beets is filling and only contains 58 calories.

Here are a few links to some recipes containing these Superfoods:

Quinoa Salad with Red Bell Pepper and Cilantro

Arugula, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Kiwi Salsa

Past Superfood Entries:

Superfoods Part I / Superfoods Part II / Superfoods Part III / Superfoods Part IV