This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Duke chapter.
Today is your lucky day. There’s no more need to deprive yourself of these 10 “unfriendly” foods—here are the great health benefits that usually go overlooked.
- Egg yolks. If you are one of the many people who avoid eating egg yolks, you are missing out on basically all the health benefits of eggs. Yes, the yolk does have a lot of cholesterol. But if you don’t have a high cholesterol problem, you’re only hurting yourself by avoiding them. Yolks are packed with nutrients, fat-soluble vitamins and necessary fatty acids, making them so comprehensive health-wise that they are comparable to a multi-vitamin. In comparison, egg whites have barely any other nutrients than protein.
- Avocados and guacamole. Avocados have almost 20 essential nutrients such as Vitamin E, B-vitamins, folate, potassium and fiber. They also act to promote the absorption of other fat-soluble nutrients that are present in other foods you eat. Avocados do have a lot of fat, but only the healthy monosaturated fat that keeps you full and keeps your energy up. One warning: be careful if you buy packaged guacamole or order the veggie in some restaurants. A lot of companies mix it with sour cream to reduce the cost.
- Low-fat milk/dairy. If you are drinking skim milk/fat free yogurt and bragging about how much calcium you are getting, you could be totally off track. Calcium is one of the vitamins that is fat-soluble, which means you cannot absorb it without fat. The more fat you remove from dairy, the more nutrients are lost, and the less calcium is absorbed. By taking out the fat, you also lose a lot of the feeling of satiety that low-fat dairy can provide. If that doesn’t deter you, skim milk is really a chalky bluish color without the necessary additives that make it look like regular milk. You can easily mix up your routine with some 1% or 2%.
- Red meat. If you have been depriving yourself of that delish Vita Burger or Tower Steak, here’s a reason to stop. The right kind of red meat is packed with protein, iron, vitamin B-12 and zinc. However, be sure to pick a lean cut of beef such as lean sirloin, tenderloin and flank steak to avoid excess amounts of saturated fat (brisket has 16 grams of fat for a mere 3oz serving). Picking grass-fed beef is even better because it provides more Omega-3’s and less saturated fat.
- Bananas. Out of all the fruit (other than avocados), bananas get the worst reputation. People complain about the carbohydrates (yes, there are more carbs than an apple), but that’s no reason to avoid them. They are loaded with fiber, which keeps you full, and potassium, which not only helps you stop cramping up, but also is a great cure for a hangover (one website even suggested adding one banana to your bottle of water post-drinking routine). They make great snacks that will keep you feeling fuller for longer, if paired with some nuts or peanut butter.
- Potatoes. By potatoes, I do not mean French fries. I mean real, baked potatoes. Packed with nutrients such as vitamins C, B-6, folate and fiber (eat the skin), they are a great source of healthy carbs. Avoid fatty additions such as excessive cheese, butter and sour cream, if you actually want to feel good about eating a baked potato.
- Chocolate. So you probably already know by now that chocolate has many health benefits, but it never hurts to remind you one more time. Cocoa is packed with antioxidants, helps promote heart health, and contains both serotonin (acts as anti-depressant) and endorphins (which make you happy, remember?). However, all chocolates were definitely not created equal. The easy to follow rule is the darker the better (the darker the chocolate the more cocoa and less added sugar, fat and milk).
- Cheese. Like chocolate, not all cheeses are as healthy as others. Pick the right one, and you have a great source of protein (for vegetarians especially) and nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. If you are looking for a healthy cheese, stick with feta, goat cheese, string cheese (part-skim mozzarella), Parmesan, and Swiss and avoid processed cheeses such as American or anything that spreads.
- Peanut butter. Peanut butter is often given a bad reputation because it is a legume and not really part of the nut family. However, it is loaded with healthy monosaturated fats, Vitamin E (antioxidant), magnesium (bone-builder), potassium (good for muscles) and Vitamin B-6 (immune system support). The fat in peanut butter makes it a great snack–even a little bit will keep you full for a decent amount of time. Stick with the natural kinds of peanut butter to avoid excess sugar and other unnecessary additives.
- Coconut. Although coconut does contain more saturated fat than butter does, the kind of saturated fat is lauric acid, which decreases your risk of heart disease by which balances your cholesterol levels. Be careful, because it is high in calories and a lot of coconut flakes are sweetened. So if you are buying coconut to add to smoothies or cookies, stick with unsweetened coconut flakes and light coconut milk (great substitute for milk).