If you could only do one thing to improve your diet, it would be to eat more plant-based foods.
The phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes may help fight cancer and heart disease. They also have a lot of fiber, which makes you feel full and nourished and can help you lose weight.
Maya Vadiveloo, an assistant professor of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island, told TODAY that fiber and phytochemicals from whole plant-based foods that are high in nutrients and fill you up have separate effects on things like cholesterol and blood pressure.
A review of studies published last year found that people who eat the most plants seem to be less likely to die early from chronic diseases.
But experts say that most Americans still don’t eat enough foods that come from plants.
Alexis Supan, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine in Lyndhurst, Ohio, said, “Unfortunately, a lot of unhealthy foods taste good and are also easy to get.”
Right now, it’s very, very, very easy for me to go get a burger and fries. It’s not as easy for me to run out and get a healthy salad or any kind of tasty, healthy vegetables.
You don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to get the benefits of a plant-based diet. Here are some of the most popular things nutritionists eat every week:
Every expert TODAY talked to put this food on their list. Beans are full of good things for you, like magnesium and fiber. Heart disease is also less likely to happen if you eat a lot of legumes.
Beans
Beans can be used in many different ways, fit any budget, and are easy to cook, whether you buy them in a can or dry. Vadiveloo soaks black pinto beans and chickpeas over the weekend so she can add them easily to tacos, salads, and pasta dishes during the week.
She said that if you buy canned beans, you should rinse them to get rid of some of the salt. Beans can also be eaten in hummus.
Sweet potatoes
Elisabetta Politi, a clinical dietitian at the Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center in Durham, said, “This tuber is cheap and easy to find in my area. North Carolina is the main producer in the U.S.
Sweet potatoes already taste sweet, and roasting them makes them even sweeter. They are also one of the best sources of beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A and anthocyanin, which is a phytochemical. Researchers have found that sweet potatoes help keep the metabolism in check.
Kimchi
KimchiSupan liked the pickled cabbage best because it was spicy. She said, “It’s great for your gut health and tastes great, especially if you like spicy food.”
As a fermented food, it has probiotics and is full of vitamins A and C, as well as minerals like magnesium, calcium, and selenium.
Nuts
Isabel Maples, a registered dietitian and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says that eating a handful of nuts every day can help lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease. Walnuts might be an especially good choice. In addition to the protein, fiber, and healthy fats that come from plants, they also have manganese, copper, and magnesium, which are minerals that help keep bones healthy.
Peanut butter
Peanut butter Vadiveloo said, “I eat peanut butter almost every day, whether it’s in my oatmeal for breakfast, on toast, or in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread.”