Monday, May 12, 2008

TopTen Antioxidant Rich Foods

We hear of the many benefits of antioxidants, but which foods provide the best sources and how can we increase the use of them in our daily diet....


Top 10 Antioxidant Rich Foods :


10. Raspberries
9. Prunes
8. Blackberries
7. Artichokes (cooked)
6. Cranberries
5. Blueberries (cultivated)
4. Pinto beans
3. Red kidney beans
2. Blueberries (wild)
1. Small red beans (dried)


Small red beans! Who knew? The small red bean looks like a kidney bean - same colour and shape - except that it's (you guessed it) smaller. It's sometimes identified as a Mexican red bean, but it's grown in Washington, Idaho, and Alberta, Canada.

The list was determined by USDA nutritionists who published the study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. J. Agric. Food Chem., 52 (12), 4026 -4037, 2004.

Raw chocolate and goji berries are two foods that are extremely rich in antioxidants but were not evaluated for the study cited above.

Tip to increase the antioxidant levels in stir fries and soups: Make bean cubes. Process leftover beans with a little vegetable broth in a food processor until it forms a thin paste. Pour into ice cube trays, and then use the frozen cubes to thicken soups and sauces.

Tip to use Goji berries - add a small handful of dried goji berries to your bottled water. After a few minutes they will soften and can be chewed easily as you enjoy your aqua.

And remember berries, fresh or frozen, make excellent additions to smoothies - a favourite on the go, morning meal.