The Best Bang for Your Bite

I don't know about you but for me I want to get the best bang for my buck at the grocery store. The best way to do that is eating not only locally grown fruits and veggies but the ones that are in season. Eating both locally and in season ensure your dollars are well spent but also that the food your eating is as nutritious as it can be. The less it has to travel the sooner to your plate. Here's a few options to look for next time your at the store.

1. Sweet Potatoes/Yams: A very good source of dietary fiber and potassium. They are also a very good source of several vitamins, including vitamins B1, B6, and C, and manganese.
2. Winter Squash: Like other richly colored vegetables winter squash are an excellent source of carotene's, the richer the color the richer the concentration such as pumpkin and acorn. Like other carotene-rich vegetables, winter squash have been shown to exert a protective effect against many cancers, particularly lung cancer.
3. Kale: It is among the most highly nutritious vegetables! A good source of carotene's vitamins C, B6,B1,B2,E and minerals including copper, iron and calcium.
4. Brussel Sprouts/Cabbage: They are similar in nutritional qualities to broccoli, an excellent source of folic acid, vitamins C, K and bete-carotene. They are a good source of vitamin B6, fiber, thiamine, and potassium. Brussel sprouts contain numerous cancer fighting phytochemicals in the form of glucsinolates. Also a good food to reduce appetite, promote bowel regularity, and prevent colon cancer.
5. Carrots: Two carrots (not baby carrots) provide roughly 4,050 retinol equivalents, or roughly four times the RDA of vitamin A. Carrots also provide excellent levels of vitamin K, biotin, and fiber and very good levels of vitamins C, B6, potassium and thiamine.
6. Broccoli/Califlower: Califlower is not as nutrient dense as broccoli, but has many of the compounds that help prevent cancer. Broccoli is especially rich in vitamin C. A 1-cup serving of broccoli provides about the same amount of protein as a cup of corn or rice but less than one third the amount of calories. it's an excellent source of of vitamins K, A as well as folic acid and fiber. It also contains phytochemicals with tremendous anticancer effects.
7. Grapefruit: Is low in calories but is a good source of flavonoids, water-soluble fibers, potassium, vitamin C, and folic acid. It also contains phytochemicals, including liminoids, flavonoids, lycopene and glucarates.
8. Pears/Red Aujou Pears: They are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, copper, vitamins B2, and E and potassium. Pears are are actually higher in pectin than apples. This makes them quite useful in helping lower cholesterol levels and in toning the intestines.
9. Oranges: The combination of high vitamin C content and flavonoids make oranges important whenever vitamin C is required to function, especially within the immune system, lens of the eyes, adrenal glands (stress receptors), and reproductive organs and in the connective tissues of our body, such as the joints, gums and ground substance; and in promoting overall good health.

Great Flavor and Fab Prices. Good luck and enjoy the end of the winter bounty.