Seven Easily Accessible Foods You're Not Eating Enough Of

Most nutritional articles tell us that we eat too much, and often the worst kinds of things. Too much white flour (which is best eliminated entirely), too much sugar (considered pure poison by nutrition experts), too much caffeine and artificial sweeteners...

But "avoiding bad" is only half the journey towards healthy eating. "Doing good" is equally important. It turns out there are quite a few common and even fairly affordable foods that are real health bombs, yet we just don’t eat enough of them. Here are seven of such foods, all available at your local supermarket and not requiring a trip to an upscale health food store.

1. Pomegranates

Not just for Rosh Hashanah: This red fruit is packed with antioxidants, natural chemicals that eliminate free radicals, the chemicals that damage tissues and cause many diseases, from heart disease to cancer and Alzheimer’s. In half a cup of pomegranate seeds, there are only 72 calories – and four grams of dietary fiber.

(Photo: shutterstock)

2. Sardines

Yes, these humble canned fish are much healthier than you might think. Sardines are one of the best sources of omega-3, the fat that supports heart health and helps improve mood. They are also one of the best sources of vitamin D (reminding you, there is currently a global vitamin D deficiency epidemic, and Israel is no exception). Due to their small size, sardines also do not contain the toxins absorbed by larger fish due to pollution issues.

3. Oats

One cup of oats contains 4 grams of dietary fiber, and adding them to your diet lowers the body's 'bad' cholesterol levels. Additionally, studies have found that breakfast containing oats – a carbohydrate that releases slowly in the body – helps burn the body's fat reserves during exercise performed in the hours following the meal.

(Photo: shutterstock)

4. Kiwi

Here’s another fruit that deserves more respect. The small, tangy fruit contains no less than 115% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. And it’s low in calories: just 45 in one fruit.

5. Quinoa

Quinoa is no longer just a fringe health fanatic food. It’s stuffed with protein and dietary fiber, and it takes only 20 minutes to cook. The unique combination of protein and fiber that quinoa offers has a major advantage: it keeps you full for much longer.

(Photo: shutterstock)

6. Lentils

Lentils are not only a readily available, cheap, and easy-to-prepare legume – in half a cup of cooked lentils, there are more than nine grams of protein and not less than eight grams of dietary fiber! If that’s not enough, lentils are also an excellent source of iron and folic acid.

7. Garlic

Garlic is nature’s true antibiotic. Numerous studies have proven this: regular consumption of garlic not only boosts the body's immune system activity but also protects against a wide range of malignant diseases. To get the most benefit from garlic, chop it and let it stand for ten minutes before adding it to food. And honestly, there are very few dishes that won't taste better with the addition of chopped garlic.

(Photo: shutterstock)