Nutrition

This no-crust spinach pie is a healthy and simple recipe to put in your lunch or dinner rotation! Spinach provides a fully loaded, nutrient-rich package in a small amount of calories. Dark leafy greens such as spinach are important for skin, hair and bone health and also provide iron and vitamins and minerals. If you are worried about spinach being high in oxalates, don’t be. While there have been studies indicating that oxalate foods such as spinach inhibit calcium absorption, the reduction is quite small and should not prevent you from eating spinach. The many valuable nutrients it contains far outweighs this concern. If you would like an alternative though, you can use kale instead, which also is a nutrient-dense vegetable boasting high amounts of calcium and vitamin K.

Sweet potatoes are a storehouse of vitamins A and C and also boast a significant helping of manganese! The amount of Vitamin A that sweet potatoes have in just 200 grams adds up to 213% of your daily value! Several recent studies have shown the superior ability of sweet potatoes to raise your blood levels of vitamin A. And now that we know how much vitamin A is in each serving, we understand how it can have such an impact on your blood levels. Not only does this dish have many vitamins and minerals that you need, it also has black beans, which provides 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber in a one cup serving! No other food group has a more health supportive mix of proteins plus fiber than legumes. They not only give this dish…

Halibut is a lean fish known for its mild flavor profile. With that in mind, this recipe pairs it with tomatoes and capers, which are more powerful in taste, to create a complimentary dish. Capers are a storehouse of vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin K, niacin and riboflavin. The mighty tomato boasts antioxidant properties such as folic acid, beta-carotene, and lutein.  photo by finecooking.com

The tomato boasts many antioxidant qualities but is specifically known for its lycopene content. Antioxidants aren’t commonly known for their bone health qualities, but maybe they should be. Recent research has now linked tomato intake to bone health in a study that removed lycopene from postmenopausal women for four weeks. The results showed that women started to show signs of oxidative stress in their bones and changes in bone tissue. Avoiding canned goods whenever possible, or switching to glass containers:Many brands of canned foods contain BPA – a chemical linked to serious health problems. That’s why it’s smart to steer clear of canned foods or switch over to brands that use glass containers instead.