10 Foods That Are Surprisingly Good For You

We all want to eat healthy, but it can be challenging to know how to make the right choices.

A couple of weeks ago, I had this plan of buying some “healthy” foods from a supermarket with a single hundred dollar bill.

Time and time again, I have been repeatedly reminded by “smart shoppers” that you should NEVER shop without a list.

But do I listen? No!

And so, there I was, yet again, with a shopping cart full of junk food and sugary beverages at the checkout counter.

That was my “enough is enough” moment! I needed help.And so I got in touch with Syafiq Iqbal, the owner of ‘Seven Sporks’ (@sevensporks), and Lim Fun (@kraykraynufitness), a nutrition coach, to help me get my life back on track.

One thing that they made very clear to me was this: Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.

From my conversation with them, I’ve compiled a list of foods that are surprisingly good for you. Enjoy!1. Avocados

Nutrient dense
Lots of potassium
Loaded with fibers
Source of good fats

Avocados are considered a “superfood” and are rich in various nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They are also a good source of (healthy) monounsaturated fatty acids.

Fun fact: You might be inclined to call it a vegetable, thanks to its green hue and savoury taste, but the avocado is technically a fruit, and even more specifically, a single-seeded berry.2. Almonds

Nutrient dense
Loaded with antioxidant
Source of good fats

Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. The health benefits of almonds include lower blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels.

Fun fact: Almonds are not nuts. They’re seeds of a fruit. More specifically, they’re seeds of the almond fruit!3. Spinach

Nutrients dense
Source of calcium
Source of fibers
Contains antioxidant

Spinach is a leafy vegetable with a high vitamin content, making it a healthy and nutritious food for human consumption. In most media featuring Popeye it is used as a last-minute device in which the hero, in danger, pulls out a can of spinach from his shirt or otherwise acquires the vegetable and eats it.

Fun fact: Popeye’s canned and fresh spinach has been available for consumption for decades and is still available today4.Ghee Butter

Stable when cooked to high heat
Rich in antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory, high in Omega 3
Plentiful fat-soluble Vitamin A, D, E, K

Ghee is a form of highly-clarified butter that is traditionally used in Asian cooking. Like butter, ghee is typically made from cow’s milk. Ghee is made by melting regular butter. The butter separates into liquid fats and milk solids.

Fun fact: Ages ago Indians discovered how to make ghee to preserve the butter or cream they had on hand, as they had no source of refrigeration.5. Coconut Oil

Contains MCT
Contains Lauric Acid
Stable when cooked to high heat
High in healthy fats

Coconut oil is high in healthy saturated fats that have different effects than most other fats in your diet. These fats can boost fat burning and provide your body and brain with quick energy. They also raise the good HDL cholesterol in your blood, which is linked to reduced heart disease risk.

Fun fact: The sailors aboard Vasco de Gama’s ships gave the coconut its name. They called it “Coco”, named after a grimacing face. The brown, hairy husk and three face-like dimples made them think the seed looked like a sort of spirit. When the “coco” came to England, the suffix of nut was added and that’s how the name came about.6. Prawns

Good source of Omega 3
Good source of protein
Contains antioxidant

Prawns are a rich source of selenium, one of the most effective antioxidants at maintaining healthy cells. They also contain high levels of Zinc, which is important to develop a healthy immune system. Eating prawns helps build strong bones because they contain phosphorous, copper and magnesium.

Fun fact: Are you eating prawn or shrimp? If you’re confused, the easiest way to differentiate between the two (besides comparing size) is by looking at their claws. Shrimp have just two sets of claws, but prawns have three. You might also notice that shrimp and prawns have a slightly different body shape, which means that the bodies of prawns aren’t as flexible as those of shrimp.7. Berries

Nutrients dense
Contains phytonutrients
Low in sugar

These little fruits offer a lot of nutrition in a small, sweet package. Berries are low in calories and extremely nutritious. In addition to being high in antioxidants, they also contain several vitamins and minerals. Berries, especially strawberries, are high in vitamin C.

Fun fact: Some fruits that are called berries in English are not true berries by the use of words above. These include strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and boysenberries. Some true berries do not have berry in their name.

These include tomatoes, eggplants, cranberries, guavas, pomegranates and chillies. Pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, oranges and lemons are also berries that have slightly different structure and may be called by different names (pepo for pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons, or hesperidium for oranges and lemons).8. Eggs

High in omega 3
High in good cholesterol
Nutrient dense
Contains all essential amino acids

Eggs are a good source of protein and can form part of a healthy diet.

Fun fact: As of October 16, 2019, a photo of an egg has been ‘liked’ more than 53 million times! (Click on the photo above to check out Neue’s past article – “2019: Year Of The Egg”)9. Cheddar cheese

Good source of protein
Nutrients rich
High in calcium
Source of probiotics

Cheese is a good source of calcium, a key nutrient for healthy bones and teeth, blood clotting, wound healing, and maintaining normal blood pressure.

Fun fact: Cheddar cheese is different from other cheeses in how it is made. After the curds are heated, they are cut and stacked. The stacks are then turned periodically and re-stacked. This process is called cheddaring. Cheddar cheese is sometimes aged in caves for up to 30 months before it is ready to eat!10. Cauliflower

Nutrient dense
High in fiber
Loaded with antioxidant
Low in carbs

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that looks like a white version of its cousin, broccoli. It is a rich source of fibres, proteins, lipids, minerals and vitamins.

I now take comfort knowing that I’ve been consuming “cauli rice” for lunch for the past few days. All this was part of a 5-day Keto Pack from Seven Sporks that I signed up for.

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Fun fact: Cauliflower is named because it is a flower. The part that we eat consists of a cluster of flower heads. If left alone, these flowers would develop seeds.

The following week, I attempted doing some “healthy shopping” again at a nearby supermarket. Armed with the list above, I can honestly tell you that I’m now shopping more smartly. But don’t get me wrong. I’m still human. I say this because there was a bag of Lay’s Classic potato chips in my shopping cart!

When I shared this news with Syafiq and Lim Fun, all they said was this: “Like everything in life, it’s all about moderation.”

What’s on your mind?

What do you think of the list above? I’m sure there are more “healthy” food to list down. And I’d love to hear from you, our dear Neue readers, what you think they are!

Drop us a line in the comments below. Oh! And while you’re here, feel free to check out some of the meal plans that available from Seven Sporks on IG.

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