What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are nutrients that prevent damaging oxidation in our bodies.
Oxidation can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurological disease.
Antioxidants are also known to enhance the immune system and hence maintain general health.
Now that you are aware of the importance of antioxidants, you can more deliberately include foods with antioxidants into your daily diet.
Fortunately, there is a wide selection of foods that contain antioxidants including popular favorites such as chocolate and coffee.
Other foods with antioxidants are fruits, vegetables, soy, red wine, nuts, vegetable oils, and tea.
In general, these foods will be best consumed fresh and raw since processing can eliminate many of the nutritional benefits.
In addition to these food options, there are vitamins and supplements available to get your daily intake.
Here is a list of easy meal and snack ideas to ensure that you are getting your antioxidants: Breakfast: Incorporate blueberries into your meal.
You can add them to your cereal, yogurt, or cottage cheese to get your antioxidant boost or you can have them in your bagel or muffin.
If you're in a hurry, you can always pack some fresh or dried blueberries to go.
Another quick and easy option is to have a prepackaged blueberry cereal bar.
Lunch: Have an antioxidant rich salad.
Having a salad with leafy greens such as spinach will deliver antioxidants but you can mix in additional vegetables, fruit, and nuts for more.
Possible vegetables to add include tomato, carrots, squash, corn, and broccoli.
For fruit, try mango, peaches, mandarin oranges, or melon.
Top it off with some walnuts or flax seed and you've got an antioxidant hearty meal.
Snacks: Treat yourself to something sweet.
Fortunately for your palate, eating foods with antioxidants does not mean sacrificing taste or favorite sweets.
Peanut butter is a good source of Vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant.
Have peanut butter as a dip for carrots or bell pepper or spread it on a piece of whole grain bread.
Feel free to have a cup of tea or coffee during your break but beware of your sugar intake.
Dinner: Serve fish with a side of vegetables.
Grill some tuna with a side of kale, broccoli, or brussel sprouts.
Start with some whole grain bread or a baked yam.
You can even toast to your health with a glass of red wine.
Dessert: Break off a piece of dark chocolate.
Try for the higher percentage cacao in order to limit the percentage sugar in the chocolate bar.
You can get your chocolate fix and antioxidants at the same time with this dessert option.
Vitamins and Supplements: You have the option to take supplements as your source of nutrients.
There is a numerous selection of supplements now available to ensure you get your antioxidants.
Some options include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, CoQ10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid.
As you can see, being healthy and getting your antioxidant intake does not mean starting a boring diet.
Antioxidants can be found in many of your favorite foods and are commonly found in your grocery store.
Oxidation can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurological disease.
Antioxidants are also known to enhance the immune system and hence maintain general health.
Now that you are aware of the importance of antioxidants, you can more deliberately include foods with antioxidants into your daily diet.
Fortunately, there is a wide selection of foods that contain antioxidants including popular favorites such as chocolate and coffee.
Other foods with antioxidants are fruits, vegetables, soy, red wine, nuts, vegetable oils, and tea.
In general, these foods will be best consumed fresh and raw since processing can eliminate many of the nutritional benefits.
In addition to these food options, there are vitamins and supplements available to get your daily intake.
Here is a list of easy meal and snack ideas to ensure that you are getting your antioxidants: Breakfast: Incorporate blueberries into your meal.
You can add them to your cereal, yogurt, or cottage cheese to get your antioxidant boost or you can have them in your bagel or muffin.
If you're in a hurry, you can always pack some fresh or dried blueberries to go.
Another quick and easy option is to have a prepackaged blueberry cereal bar.
Lunch: Have an antioxidant rich salad.
Having a salad with leafy greens such as spinach will deliver antioxidants but you can mix in additional vegetables, fruit, and nuts for more.
Possible vegetables to add include tomato, carrots, squash, corn, and broccoli.
For fruit, try mango, peaches, mandarin oranges, or melon.
Top it off with some walnuts or flax seed and you've got an antioxidant hearty meal.
Snacks: Treat yourself to something sweet.
Fortunately for your palate, eating foods with antioxidants does not mean sacrificing taste or favorite sweets.
Peanut butter is a good source of Vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant.
Have peanut butter as a dip for carrots or bell pepper or spread it on a piece of whole grain bread.
Feel free to have a cup of tea or coffee during your break but beware of your sugar intake.
Dinner: Serve fish with a side of vegetables.
Grill some tuna with a side of kale, broccoli, or brussel sprouts.
Start with some whole grain bread or a baked yam.
You can even toast to your health with a glass of red wine.
Dessert: Break off a piece of dark chocolate.
Try for the higher percentage cacao in order to limit the percentage sugar in the chocolate bar.
You can get your chocolate fix and antioxidants at the same time with this dessert option.
Vitamins and Supplements: You have the option to take supplements as your source of nutrients.
There is a numerous selection of supplements now available to ensure you get your antioxidants.
Some options include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, CoQ10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid.
As you can see, being healthy and getting your antioxidant intake does not mean starting a boring diet.
Antioxidants can be found in many of your favorite foods and are commonly found in your grocery store.
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