Where Can You Find Natural Antioxidants?

Scientists and nutritionists are learning more about the amazing properties inherent in the food we eat every day. Fruits and vegetables contain natural antioxidant properties, which have recognized health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health and cancer fighting properties.

Choosing foods that contain large amounts of natural antioxidant properties is essential to getting the most health benefit while staying within necessary caloric ranges. A common rule of thumb to keep in mind is that vegetables that are darkest in color are typically higher in natural antioxidants than lighter colored vegetables. Although this is by no means a definitive rule, it is a good guideline to use when shopping for produce at the supermarket or farmers market.

The best fruits to chose, on the other hand, are berries and citrus fruits, which are high in vitamins and other nutrients as well. Blackberries are perhaps the best choice for picky eaters as they can be eaten alone or even made into a dessert. Getting natural antioxidant properties from a dessert is a wonderful way to improve your health while satisfying your sweet tooth. Many people are surprised to learn that many of the foods that they already love have health benefits as well. Dark chocolate for example is known to contain natural antioxidant properties, although it is still important not to overindulge.

Working Natural Antioxidants Into Your Diet

It’s a misnomer that healthy food and good tasting food are mutually exclusive. You can in fact enjoy wonderful, delicious food while reaping the rewards of healthy choices. Even finicky eaters who do not like vegetables and fruits can find ways to get them into their daily diet with a little ingenuity. Trying some new recipes that you would ordinarily turn up your nose toward is one guaranteed way to add some variation to your diet and include valuable nutrition in place of less healthy choices.

By adding herbs and spices to suit your tastes, you can tailor almost any recipe to be a healthy and delicious dish. Stir fry is a simple and popular method of cooking vegetables, meats, and spices together to commingle the flavors, creating a dish that is more flavorful than any of its ingredients would be on their own. Simply start with something basic that you already know you enjoy, such as chicken, and add vegetables like broccoli that compliment the base flavor without overpowering it. Even the staunchest vegetable hater can learn to love foods rich in natural antioxidants by experimenting with things like stir fry and other cooking methods.