Eat this, or that?

When it comes to making a healthy choice the options are not always obvious. One of the best things we can all do for the good of our health is to eat a wide variety of foods in our diet, but

Which would you choose to put in your shopping trolley?

Butter or margarine?

As long as it is eaten in moderation, it seems that butter is the better (and definitely the tastier!) choice. Although higher in saturated fat, it is now understood that a high intake of sunflower and vegetable oils can contribute to inflammation, which is a driving force in many chronic diseases. If you really want a healthy option, think like a Mediterranean and use olive oil instead – not olive oil spread though, as it is blended with sunflower and vegetable oil.

Spinach or broccoli?

Although both of these dark green leafy vegetables have their merits, broccoli gets my vote because it is packed full of phytonutrients like suforophane and …  that have been shown to help support liver detoxification, immune balance, Any of the brassica vegetables will give you these benefits, so load up on brussel sprouts, kale, pak choi, cabbage, cauliflower and purple spouting.

Although spinach has nutritional benefits, it does contain a compound called oxalate that limits mineral absorption, including iron and calcium, so although spinach contains decent levels of these minerals, it is unlikely that you will absorb a lot of them.

Low fat spray or olive oil?

Take one look at the ingredients list and it will be an obvious choice. A bestselling low calorie spray lists Extra Virgin Olive Oil (51%), Water, Alcohol, Emulsifier: Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Flavouring, Thickener: Xanthan Gum as the ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I am sticking to my olive oil.

We know that olive oil has a whole host of health benefits, from supporting cardiovascular health to having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Use it for cooking and get a really good quality extra virgin olive oil to use for dressings and drizzles,

Oat bran or wheat bran?

These two grains have quite a different nutritional makeup. Oat bran is a source of soluble fibre, while wheat bran is higher in insoluble fibre. While we need a balance of both types, it is soluble fibre that  has benefits beyond our bowel. As well as helping to ease constipation and support digestive health, oat fibre has been shown to support cardiovascular health and blood sugar balance. Try swapping your morning wheat based cereal to an oat based one and see if it makes a difference for you.

Grapes or berries?

Although both have health benefits, berries are significantly lower in sugar than grapes. Packed with antioxidants, berries are a great fruit to include in your daily diet. Choose fresh or frozen and mix up the varieties, Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries – any you like will add a little pop of polyphenols onto your plate.

Cod or mackerel?

It is recommended that we eat oily fish a couple of times a week, so a portion of mackerel will help you hit this goal, White fish like cod, haddock and whiting are great too, but for the essential omega 3 fats, choose mackerel, herring, trout, sardines, pilchards or anchovies. Tinned or fresh are perfect.

Cos lettuce or rocket?

The more dark green leafy veggies we can include in our diet, the more magnesium that plant food is likely to contain, so go for rocket or watercress in your salads rather than cos or iceberg lettuce. Not only do they have more flavour, but you are getting a lot more nutrition on your plate too.

Skinny bar or chocolate?

If you want a chocolate bar, eat it! Skinny bars, low fat snacks and low calorie chocolate is packed with flavourings, sweeteners and sugar. When these low fat bars are loaded with sugar, it will definitely not do your waistline any favours, so although they are advertised as part of a weight loss diet, they are not always the healthier choice.