There is no single best health food, it is better to eat a variety of healthy foods. For veggies we usually call this ”eating the rainbow”. For example, people usually think of kale as that super-awesome-trendy-numba one health food, but it’s a better idea to also work other cruciferous veggies such as cauliflower, broccoli or arugula into your diet.
Every time I go to the grocery store or market, I have a look at the veggie and fruits section, see what’s fresh, and think “What’s something I haven’t had in a while” and go from there.
However, there are some foods I try to work into my diet every week. Those include salmon or trout, shellfish (mostly shrimp or mussels), sardines, spinach, eggs, oats, brown rice, mixed berries and kiwis. Hope this helps.
Sounds like you’re talking ‘super foods’. In my mind, there’s no such thing. There are foods that are healthier than others, for sure, but there is no one perfect food. I would recommend eating a nice variety. If you’re looking to improve your overall gut health, then eating the rainbow is helpful. The color in fruits and veggies are an indicator of the nutrients that you find in them. Study that recently came out showed that 30 seems to be a magic number for gut health. Meaning eating 30 different fruits and veggies a week. Sounds daunting, but it’s really not that hard. For example, for breakfast I have oats(1), with almond milk (2), chia (3), sunflower seeds (4), pumpkin seeds (5), millet (6), and strawberries (7). For lunch I have a veggie casserole filled with things like tomatoes (8), eggplant (9), carrots (10), celery (11) and onion (12). Then for a snack I have carrots with hummus (13). I’m nearly half way there before I even leave the office for the day.
I would recommend adding some veggies to your meals. Figure out what you like. I wouldn’t worry so much about which specific veggie you’re adding - a veggie can be the healthiest thing on earth, but if you don’t like it, you won’t eat it, at which point it’s not doing you any good at all. Take a walk through the produce section of your store, find something you’ve never had before and try it out. If you hate it, at worst you’ve spent a couple bucks. You may need to try something a few times before getting a taste for it, so unless it’s totally repulsive to you, you may want to give it another go at some later point. That would be my advice - veggies are a nice addition to any meal that can bulk it up, cutting the overall calories of the meal, and providing you with fiber and a ton of nutrients. Top those veggies with some nutritional yeast, and NOW you’re talking :) In all seriousness, if you’ve never had it, most stores carry it - it’s yellow and looks like fish food, but it has this great nutty/cheesy flavor that goes great on pretty much everything from popcorn to broccoli. It’s a great source of protein and a pretty darn good source of fiber itself.
Aim for 1/2 your plate to be veggies, 1/4 carbs/starches, and 1/4 protein. If you struggle to get enough vitamins on your plate, a “green monster” smoothie might help - 1 banana, 1 cup milk, a handful or two of spinach, some (1/3 cup) thawed frozen fruits (I do 30-40 sec in microwave), and blend! It’ll look gross but since spinach has a relatively neutral flavor it won’t taste how it looks.
Pretty much just have a healthy source of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats at every meal.
My go-to carbs: Sweet potato, Blackberries, Green beans, Bell Pepper, Strawberries, etc.
My go-to fats: Nuts, Olive oil, Dairy, Eggs, Salmon, 90% cacao Dark Chocolate, Trout, etc.
My go-to proteins: Fat free milk, greek yogurt, Shrimp, Tilapia, Bison, Chicken, Turkey, etc.