10 foods to add to your diet

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Here are 10 foods that are good source of essential nutrients. Learn about them and eat them more often.

Eat a colourful variety of fruits and vegetables

Eat a colourful variety of fruits, whether they’re fresh, canned, or frozen.

Slice more vegetables than you need when cooking so you’ll have some for snacks.

Eat whole grain cereal that contains at least 4 grams of fibre per serving.

Try plant proteins and discover new flavours with our simple and nutritious recipes.

Good foods to eat according to our nutritionist Linda Montpetit

Eggplant

Eggplant is not very popular in Quebec, even if this vegetable is flavourful and nutritious. Since its peel is packed with antioxidants, it’s best to leave it on. Also, even if eggplant is low in calories, it easily soaks up fat, so go easy on the oil when cooking it.

Chard

Chard can have a white, yellow, or red stalk. All varieties are highly nutritious. Chard is low in calories and contains over a dozen essential nutrients, including large quantities of vitamin A, iron, vitamin K, and magnesium. Chard can replace spinach in most recipes and you can eat the whole vegetable raw or cooked.

Blueberry

Among all berries, blueberries are the ones with the most antioxidants. If kept in an airtight container, fresh blueberries can be stored for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Take a minute to remove damaged fruit to prevent the rest of the berries from spoiling. Frozen blueberries are great in smoothies. Blueberries make a great sauce. Use it to garnish homemade cupcakes or a fruit-and-yogurt cup. Blueberries go well with red and game meats.

Kale

Kale is a rich source of antioxidants and fibre. It’s also packed with vitamins K and C, making it a great health ally. Clean it thoroughly before serving it raw, sautéed, steamed, or in chips.

Corn

Although it’s often eaten like a vegetable, corn is a grain. Whole-grain corn contains many nutrients, including iron and about 2 grams of fibre per ear of corn. Pureed corn is great for thickening soup and adds a touch of sweetness.

Coconut

Coconut milk contains about as much fat as 15% cream while coconut cream is similar to 35% cream. Coconut milk is a great alternative to dairy in soups, desserts, and sauces. It’s also a fantastic way to add texture and flavour in Asian dishes such as curry. Unsweetened dried coconut can be used as a crispy breading for fish or shrimp. Its exotic flavour will take your taste buds on a culinary journey! Finally, coconut oil is neutral in taste and can be used instead of butter and plant-based oils for cooking and pastries while lowering the amount of cholesterol in these recipes.

Sweet potato

Loaded with fibre and vitamin A, sweet potatoes add a nutritional boost to any dish.You can roast sweet potatoes with or without their skin, which is edible and delicious. The skin contains precious fibre, so skin-on is healthier. If you’re short on time, cut your sweet potato into smaller pieces and they will cook faster.

Sesame

Sesame is rich in fibre and iron. You should roast the white or black seeds in the oven or dry roast them in pan for a few minutes to enhance their taste of hazelnut. They’re delicious in a variety of dishes, such as carrot salad, beef sautéed in a wok, fish (perfect for making a crust!), fried rice, quiche, and creamy vinaigrette.

Date

Fresh or dried, dates are ideal for anyone with an active lifestyle as they provide a boost of energy and carbohydrates. Dried and diced dates can be used instead of raisins or other dried fruit in a variety of recipes. And date paste is a wonderful alternative to sugar because it provides a rich texture and subtle taste while increasing the amount of fibre of your recipe. It’s easy to prepare and can enhance the flavour of yogurt, smoothies or be used to lower the acidity levels of a tomato sauce.

Lentils

Purchase a variety of legumes to add to your soups, stews, and chilis. Dried red lentils are practical to have on hand because you don’t necessarily need to pre-cook them. Simply rinse and add in tomato sauces or in soups and stews. Full of protein, brown and green lentils can be a substitute for part of the ground beef in nearly every recipe. If you’re using canned lentils, make sure to rinse them to reduce their amount of sodium. They’re an affordable, tasty way to reduce your fat intake, without compromising on taste!

Tips for eating more

Tips and tricks on kale

To cook kale chips, simply use some oil and season with smoked paprika, curry powder, and herbes de Provence. To steam, cook for 5 minutes before enjoying as is or with a hint of homemade vinaigrette. To sauté in a pan, all you need is a little olive oil and garlic. In soups and quiches, kale can be used instead of spinach and will make your favourite dishes more colourful and nutritious. However, kale is best consumed raw because it contains a maximum of essential nutrients. Try it in a salad or a smoothie.

Tahini

Tahini is a paste made by grinding toasted sesame seeds with a little vegetable oil. We see it most commonly in hummus, but you can also use it to flavour or thicken soup, to make a sauce for chicken, to put a new spin on ravioli filling or in vinaigrettes to give your salads or grilled vegetables an Asian flair.

Lentil salad in a snap

For a quick and delicious main-course salad, combine cooked lentils, mixed vegetables (frozen veggies are perfect, so get into the habit of always having some ready to defrost!), a few fresh herbs, onions, spices and your favourite vinaigrette. And if you happen to have some cooked quinoa or rice in the fridge, toss that in too for a hearty meal, it's a great way to use those leftovers!

Cooking with sweet potatoes

Learn more about the art of using sweet potatoes in a salad, as fries, in a soup, roasted in the oven, or in a dip.

Recipes made with lots of vegetables and recommended by our nutritionist, Linda Montpetit

Grilled Ratatouille Salad

30 min

Soba Noodles With Vegetables and Miso

33 min

Veggie Balls

1h 10

Kale Millet Pilaf

35 min

Chewy Cranberry-Nut Energy Bars

2h 30

Chocolate Date Hazelnut Spread

28 min

Coconut «tre leche» cake

1h 15

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10 foods to add to your diet

Here are 10 foods that are good source of essential nutrients. Learn about them and eat them more often.