When I hear the word "math," my anxiety level shoots way up, and I just hope any problems or calculations are very, very easy.
So when I first read an article in Prevention that equated good nutrition know-how to good math skills, it made me nervous.
After all, for anyone who likes to keep track, there is a constant barrage of calorie and fat gram counts, dividing portions accurately and calculating the percentage of recommended daily vitamins and minerals in an simple garden salad.
Fortunately, the article does not require advanced calculus. In fact, it just leads us to a simple equation: Superfoods + everyday cooking routines = an easy, low-stress way to sneak nutrition into your diet.
So, below are a few of my favorite tricks to give a regular meal a serious (and stealthy) nutritional punch.
- Whole grain cereal + sunflower seeds = better immunity: Top a bowl of cereal with a handful of sunflower seeds for a healthy dose of vitamin E, which has antioxidants that protect cells
from free radicals that can lead to cancer
and cardiovascular disease.
- Scrambled eggs + red peppers = smoother skin: Keep chopped red peppers handy, and toss them into scrambled eggs or an omlet. It provides a boost of vitamin C that is both good for your immune system (especially during cold and flu season), but also could help prevent wrinkles and dry skin.
- Smoothie + wheat germ = faster healing: Adding a quarter cup of wheat germ to a smoothie provides a zinc, an essential mineral that helps repair cells and strengthens the
immune system.
- Sandwich + spinach leaves = improved night vision: Just three small leaves of spinach on your sandwich gives you 20 percent of the daily vitamin A requirements. Same goes for tossing some kale to a soup or stirfry.
- Green salad + canned wild salmon = healthier brain and heart: Three ounces of canned wild salmon gives you half of the
weekly recommendation for healthy omega-3 fats, which are linked to heart and brain
health.