10 foods that turn out to be healthier than you thought

  • Food Network Kitchens
  • Tuesday, June 28, 2011 12:01am
  • Life

Ten foods that are healthier for you than you might think:

Avocado: So it may seem weird for a fruit to contain fat, but avocados are one of the few produce items that do. The heart-protecting monounsaturated-fat content is actually one of the things that make them so healthy.

Spaghett

i and meatballs: Thanks to the iron and protein from the beef, lycopene from the tomato sauce and energy-producing carbs from the pasta, this dish a healthy trifecta. If you stick to modest portions and lean beef, you can enjoy its benefits without overdoing it.

Bananas: Often bashed for their high sugar and carb content, bananas are a ridiculously healthy fruit that everyone can enjoy. A medium banana has roughly the same calories (100) as a medium apple.

Peanut butter: Peanut butter may indeed contain fat, but 30 percent of your daily calories should come from healthy fats, for which peanut butter is a great choice. The nutty spread is also a good way to get protein, fiber and vitamin E.

Coffee: Along with adding a little pep to your step, coffee is teeming with antioxidants. Research has linked drinking the brewed beverage to a decreased risk of type-2 diabetes and improved mental health as you age.

Burritos: Burritos can be a healthy choice: When filled with vegetables, rice, beans and small portions of meat, these Tex-Mex treats can cover all your nutrition bases in one tortilla.

Chicken thighs: Dark-meat chicken has a bad rep for being fatty and artery-clogging, but it is actually the skin that you should avoid. Dark meat, like avocados, is high in healthy monounsaturated fats.

Eggs: Eggs contain some cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean they’re a total no-no. According to the American Egg Board, healthy individuals can eat up to two eggs per day without significantly affecting blood-cholesterol levels.

Potatoes: Potatoes are a nutrition powerhouse. A medium potato has 165 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 10 percent of your daily iron and 70 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.

Corn: Some folks frown on corn because it’s a starchy vegetable. Well, it is starchy because it’s actually a grain. One cup of corn kernels has 5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber (that’s more than 25 percent of the daily recommendation) and energy-producing B-vitamins.

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