Women’s Health

Bust Out of a Food Rut

June 2006

Shake up your shopping list with super-healthy foods that pack fresh new flavors

Magazine Online Version: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/article/0,6176,s1-2-63-867-1,00.html

Salmon? So over. Sure, it's delicious. Sure, it's incredibly good for you. But it's just so...done. It has perched atop the "healthiest entrée throne long enough, and now any way you slice, sauté steam, stir-fry, or glaze it, you've had your fill. After years of salmon consumption in the name of good health, the urge to pound several double bacon cheeseburgers just for the sake of variety is understandable.

Rediscover your will to eat well with these five foods — each just as healthy and delicious as the five standbys. Make one of our recipes tonight and give your tried-and-true (and tried again) fallbacks a rest.

Instead of Brown Rice Try Quinoa
The ancient Inca believed quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah") gave their armies a fighting edge. While it may not help you conquer any empires, it will give your diet a boost. "Unlike other grains, quinoa is considered a complete vegetarian protein on par with dairy," says Marjorie Livingston, an assistant professor of nutrition at the Culinary Institute of America. (Your body can't use most vegetarian proteins unless you pair them with another, different protein — like peanut butter and whole-wheat bread, or rice and beans. You can eat quinoa solo.) That's not all this light and nutty grain can do. "Quinoa is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals often insufficient in women's diets, like vitamin E, iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium," Livingston says. Since it contains no gluten, even the wheat intolerant can enjoy.

Make it Tonight
Give uncooked quinoa a good rinse to remove any bitter coating. To deepen its flavor, toast it in a skillet in oil over low heat before cooking, says Carol Fenster, Ph.D., president of Savory Palate, a cookbook company. "For a wonderful _flavor twist, add a stick of cinnamon to the boiling water," she suggests.

Instead of Salmon Try Arctic Char
You've already heard our beef with salmon. For a more interesting substitute that has a mild, light, salmon-like flavor, but less of a fishy taste, look no further than arctic char. Traditionally a protein staple of the Inuit, arctic char swims in the waters off northern Alaska and other icy depths. Like salmon, it's a fatty cold-water fish, which means it's chock-full of heart-healthy omega-3 fats, with fewer dangerous PCBs, heavy metals that are found in salmon feed.

Make it Tonight
Once hard to find outside snooty specialty stores, arctic char is now widely available at well-stocked fish markets. Buy it online at gortonsfreshseafood.com or arcticchar.com. You can use it in any recipe that calls for salmon, and it lends itself to just about any cooking method. "Marinades work very nicely with arctic char," Dr. Fenster says. Italian salad dressing or teriyaki sauce both work in a pinch.

Instead of Broccoli Try Broccoli Sprouts
Despite their small size and mild taste, tiny broccoli sprouts are a stronger cancer fighter than their grown-up counterparts. "Broccoli sprouts can have 50 times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli," says Paul Talalay, M.D., professor of pharmacology at Johns Hopkins Medical School. Sulforaphane, one of the many antioxidants found in the sprouts, has the ability to increase so-called phase two enzymes, which neutralize cancer-causing chemicals before they wreak havoc. "It's chemoprotection through food," Dr. Talalay says.

Make it Tonight
Look for the Brocco-Sprouts brand. BroccoSprouts are produced under license from Johns Hopkins, which guarantees that each batch has high sulforaphane levels. They're available in most supermarkets.

Instead of Peanut Butter Try Almond Butter
Okay, you're probably not sick of peanut butter. But that's no reason not to swap it out once in a while, as almond butter is higher in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. "These three minerals work together to improve bone strength," says Anne VanBeber, Ph.D., R.D., nutrition professor at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. It's not just your bones that benefit. A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that when women included almond butter in their diets for 4 weeks, their LDL "bad" cholesterol levels fell. "Almond butter has also been spared the trans fat and sugars that plague many processed peanut butters," Dr. VanBeber says.

Make it Tonight
Anywhere peanut butter goes — from cookies to sauces — this can too. "Just make sure you stir in the oil at the top to prevent it from going dry," Dr. Fenster says. Maranatha (nspiredfoods_.com) makes a great-tasting butter and gives you a choice of everything from organic to raw, keeping purists happy.

Instead of Beef Try Buffalo
Love red meat but hate the fat? Enter buffalo. The cuts are the same, but the health benefits are much different. "Buffalo gets a green light from the American Heart Association because it's low in fat and high in nutrients such as protein, zinc, and vitamin B12," says Martin Marchello, Ph.D., a professor of animal and range sciences at North Dakota University. "Buffalo also has fewer fats that can raise your cholesterol." Throwing a buffalo burger on the grill is a great way to meet iron requirements, too, since buffalo often contains more of the mineral than other meats do. The taste? Almost indistinguishable from beef, though a bit sweeter and more tender.

Make it Tonight
You don't have to live on the range to get buffalo, though it may set you back a dollar more a pound than beef. Many specialty meat shops and natural-food stores like Whole Foods Market stock it. Or buy it at exoticmeats.com. You can use buffalo in recipes calling for beef, but make sure you prepare it carefully. "Because it's low in fat, you need to employ quick cooking methods or you'll end up eating a hockey puck," Dr. VanBeber says.