Increasing Antioxidants In Your Diet

Recent research has shown that antioxidants are protective against many diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, cataracts, and allergies.  Because antioxidants work best in a team, relying on supplements alone may not be sufficient.  Instead, incorporating more whole foods into your diet will help assure that you are getting multiple antioxidants with every bite.  

Foods highest in antioxidants tend to be plants with bright colors, strong odors, or strong flavors.  

• Brightly colored: bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, mangos, papaya, persimmons,
  
• Pungent odors: onions (all types), garlic, shallots, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower
  
• Strong tastes: asparagus, chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens
  
• Dark colored:  berries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, salmonberries, blueberries
  
  

The following are examples of the major antioxidant nutrients and their food sources.  See the following page for tips on increasing antioxidants in your diet, including other antioxidant food sources that may not fall under the categories below.  

Beta-Carotene:

• Cantaloupe, fresh or dried apricots, mangoes, papaya, and persimmons.
  
• Broccoli, carrots (and juice), leafy greens (spinach, kale, mustard, collard, swiss chard), pumpkin, red peppers, sweet potatoes, and squash.
  
  

Vitamin C

• Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, citrus fruits and juices (oranges and grapefruits), melons (especially cantaloupe), papaya, kiwi, mangoes, and strawberries.
  
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cabbage), leafy greens (spinach, kale, mustard, collard, swiss chard), red and green peppers, sweet potatoes, with skin, tomatoes and tomato juice.
  
  

Vitamin E

• Avocados, leafy greens (spinach, kale, mustard, collard, swiss chard)
  
• Mangoes and apricots. Buy unsulphured and unsweetened. You can find bags of these at Trader Joes.
  
• Fish and shellfish.
  
• Whole grains, nuts, seeds, and wheat germ.
  
  

Selenium

• Brazil nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds.
  
• Garlic, blackstrap molasses
  
• Eggs, halibut, oysters, salmon, tuna, scallops, snapper, clams, ground beef, chicken breast
  
  

GENERAL TIPS:

• Drink green tea.  Matcha powder is the most potent in antioxidants. 1tsp in 1c of water per day
  
• Eat turmeric daily, 50-300mg/d, either in cooking or in capsules. Most spices are anti inflammatory.  
  
  

Morning/Breakfast suggestions:

• Drink juice rich in vitamin C (orange, grapefruit, tomato).
  
• Have green tea in place of coffee or black tea.
  
• Add fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries to your cereal or use them to top waffles or pancakes. Eat 1c of berries per day.
  
• Have a bowl of fresh cantaloupe, peaches, mango, watermelon, or apricots.
  
• Add chia seeds or nuts to your oatmeal or yogurt.  Eat 2Tbsp of chia seeds per day (high in Omegas)
  
• Top coffee with cinnamon (anti inflammatory)
  
  

Lunch suggestions:

• Try a green leafy salad with purple cabbage.
  
• Add lettuce, tomato or grated carrots to your sandwich.
  
• Bring carrots sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or sliced pepper in your lunch with hummus or nut butters.
  
  

Evening/Dinner suggestions:

• Serve a (non iceberg) vegetable salad every night.
  
• Cook everything with onion and garlic
  
• Have broccoli, cabbage, or Brussels sprouts often (daily!)
  
• Add vegetables to mixed dishes like casseroles or pasta.
  
• Bake sweet potatoes or yams rather than white potatoes.
  
• Use recipes that incorporate oregano, cloves, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, fenugreek, sage, basil, thyme, mint, etc.  Most herbs are naturally anti inflammatory.
  
• Use pureed fruit sauces in place of gravy.
  
• Eat fruit for dessert.
  
  

Snack suggestions:

• Nibble on dried mango, papaya, apricots or cranberries.
  
• Eat raw vegetable crudités with a dip (hummus, nut butters, whole fruit unsweetened jam, tapanades, salsas)
  
• Choose sorbet or a fruit smoothie at a juice bar. PCC has my favorite juice bar. Whole Foods is good too. Sometimes I go out for frozen yogurt and get the "tart" or unflavored option with all of their fresh berry and fruit toppings (omitting all of the other fro-yo flavors that are artificially flavored and sweetened and the entire candy bar section)
  
• Boil green soybeans in the pod (called edamame).
  
• Add chopped fruit, berries, or nuts to muffins, cakes, or cookies.