by Linda Formichelli
The grocery store can be a bewildering place for the health-minded. What should you toss into your cart if you have a family history of heart disease? What if you’re concerned about cancer, or training to run a marathon, or looking to lose some weight?
We gave four experts $25 each and asked them to buy the foods you need to meet your health goals. Get ready for some surprises (wine? chocolate? ice cream?), and follow their lead to food shop with confidence—even if you’re on a budget.
The Expert: Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association
The Foods:
1 gallon skim milk
4 cans of vegetable soup
Oranges
Mixed vegetables
Italian spice blend
Flavored water
1 box ice cream sandwiches
When it comes to keeping the pounds off, the secret is getting the fullest on the fewest number of calories. That’s why Jackson Blatner is all about not drinking your calories. “When you drink fluids that have calories, it goes unnoticed by the body,” she says. In other words, beverages like soda and juice don’t fill you up even though they add calories to your diet. In fact, according to a study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, people who drank caloric beverages with meals consumed an average of 104 calories more than people who ate their meals with non-caloric beverages.
In addition, people often mistake thirst for hunger and reach for snacks instead of a drink. Beat the system by stocking up on flavored waters as well as teas and other no-cal beverages. Or reach for skim milk, as the calcium in dairy helps accelerate weight loss, according to a study by the University of Tennessee Nutrition Institute.
Speaking of water: High-water foods have been found to fill you up faster than foods without much water. In one experiment, researchers gave subjects the same amount of meat and vegetables, but gave it to one group as a casserole along with a glass of water, and to a second group as a soup. Even though all three groups were eating the same amount of solid food, people eating the soup felt full the fastest. “So when people eat wet foods, they’ll eat fewer calories,” concludes Jackson Blatner.
That’s why Jackson Blatner stocks up on vegetable soup. But veggie soup doesn’t mean fat-laden cream of broccoli; look for a soup that has, per cup, 100 calories or fewer, less than 2 grams of saturated fat, 500 mg sodium or less, and more than three grams of fiber.
Fruits and vegetables are superstars when it comes to fill-you-up fiber and water. “All fruits and vegetables are encouraged,” says Jackson Blatner. “Especially vegetables—generally, vegetables have only 20 calories per serving as compared to 80 calories for starch foods like pasta, bread, or rice.” Use the Italian spice blend to give the veggies some zip without dumping on calories.
Jackson Blatner picks oranges for their double-whammy against excess weight: Not only are oranges high in water and fiber, but “they take longer to peel and eat, so you eat them slowly and more mindfully,” she says. Eating mindfully allows you to be aware of when you’ve had enough; it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register the fact that you’re full.
Sometimes you just need to splurge. Jackson Blatner suggests opting for single-serving treats like ice cream sandwiches or fudge bars so you don’t overindulge. “The-all-or-nothing mentality does not work, so if you think you’re going to swear off ice cream altogether, think again,” she says.
The Expert: Pamela Douglas, MD, president of the American College of Cardiology and author of Cardiovascular Health and Disease in Women.
The Foods:
1 1/2 lbs salmon
Sea salt or other large-grained salt
Cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, baby carrots
1 bar dark chocolate
6 oz. bag of almonds
8.5 oz bottle olive oil
1 bottle Pinot Noir
2 6-ounce cups low-fat yogurt
Sure, we know that salmon, olive oil, and nuts are full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats. And vegetables are a given for their antioxidants. But pinot noir? Yogurt? Chocolate? And what on earth is salt doing in this heart expert’s shopping cart?
“Some people respond to salt with an increase in blood pressure,” says Douglas. If this is you, use sea salt or another coarse-grained salt, which has a more intense taste so you can use less and still get good flavor. Also, salt after you’ve finished cooking your meal—that way the salt is on the surface so you taste it more, which means you can use less.
If you enjoy the occasional glass of wine, opt for red over white. Red wine contains phenolic substances that protect the heart—and pinot noir beats out all other types of wine when it comes to these protective substances. Don’t drink? Don’t start. Experts don’t encourage non-drinkers to start imbibing for the heart health benefits.
While you’re enjoying your wine, nibble on a square of luscious dark chocolate. Scientists have found that dark chocolate—labeled 70 percent cocoa or more—boosts blood antioxidants by 20 percent. The flavorful stuff can also help with weight control. “Dark chocolate is also a good way to get something very satisfying with a small number of calories,” says Douglas.” If you have a whole piece of pie, it may have 500 calories, but with chocolate you can get a lot of satisfaction for 100 calories. This is especially important is you need to lose weight, as being overweight is bad for your heart.”
Yogurt might seem like a strange addition to our heart health expert’s cart, but this creamy treat is a good source of calcium, which helps the heart maintain its rhythm, says Douglas. Instead of getting the type with the sugary fruit mixed in, Douglas suggests going with plain and adding your own fresh fruits and flavor extracts.
(At least one hour of intense exercise per day, most days of the week.)
The Expert: Molly Kimball, RD, a sports nutritionist for Ochsner Clinic’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans
The Foods:
4 chicken breast cutlets
18-ounce package whole wheat bread
10-oz box frozen spinach
8-oz bag chopped walnuts
1 avocado
18-oz jar peanut butter
Forget diamonds—potassium is the active woman’s best friend, as it helps ease muscle cramping. Spinach is one of the best vegetable sources of this cramp-busting nutrient; Kimball opts for frozen over fresh. “Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutrient-dense as fresh,” says Kimball. And y’know that vegetable drawer in your fridge that’s filled with rotting peppers and wilting greens? That won’t happen with frozen veggies.
Avocado is another high-potassium treat—and is a versatile addition to your diet. Cube it for salads, slice it for sandwiches, or mash it up for delicious guacamole.
We know that exercisers need protein to repair and build muscle (hence the chicken breast)—so it’s surprising to see Kimball toss carb-laden bread into her cart. “Active women need carbohydrates, which are the easiest source of fuel for our muscles,” she says. “Carbs take a lot less energy for the body to break down than protein or fiber; in fact, when we eat carbs, the digestion of them starts in our mouths.” High fiber carbs—as opposed to refined carbs like white bread—will give you a prolonged release of energy instead of a rapid rise and fall. Look for a minimum of three grams of fiber per serving.
If you exercise a lot—at least an hour a day, most days of the week—eat carbs every three to four hours to keep muscles as saturated as possible, says Kimball. Half and hour to an hour before a cardio workout, have a snack that includes carbs and protein, such as peanut butter on whole wheat bread, to keep your energy up.
To determine how much carbs you need, Kimball recommends that you experiment to see what works best for you. “If you cut back carbs, and feel tired, gradually add them back in—not in one big lump, but spaced through the day,” she says.
You may not want fat on your thighs, but you do want it in your diet—and walnuts and peanut butter are great sources. “A lot of people who exercise a lot go too low in fat, so these are a great way to get some,” says Kimball. Nuts are also a good source of magnesium, which helps banish cramps and which is lost when you sweat.
The Expert: Melanie Polk, RD, a consultant for the American Institute of Cancer Research
The Foods:
1 package pre-cut stir fry veggies
Fruit salad
26-ounce jar tomato sauce
Whole wheat pizza dough
Tea (green or black)
1.5 pounds mackerel
It’s no surprise that Polk’s cart is filled to the brim with fruits, vegetables, and tea; it’s well-known that these foods are packed with cancer-fighting phytochemicals. But not many people know that the phytochemicals from different foods may work together to up the level of protection. When you consume a whole variety of fruits and vegetables, “You’re able to not only get the benefits of the phytochemicals from the individual [foods], but also the advantage of something called synergy,” Polk says. “We’re learning how phytochemicals work together as a team to protect us.” Polk suggests pre-cut veggies because it’s easy to toss them into stir-frys and soups and to pair them with dip for a crunchy snack, and fruit salad offers an easy way to get a variety of fruits.
Who would have thought that pizza could be a cancer fighter? The sauce is rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which may protect against breast and prostate cancer. Why not nosh on raw tomatoes? “Lycopene is more available in tomato sauce than in fresh tomatoes,” says Polk. And instead of pizza dough made from refined flour, try whole wheat dough for extra fiber. “We think that foods that are high in fiber offer cancer protection, though it may not be the fiber itself that gets the credit,” Polk says. For the perfect cancer-busting dinner, top it with the lycopene-rich tomato sauce, low-fat cheese, and broccoli. Tomatoes and broccoli are two vegetables that have been studied together for their cancer-combating synergistic properties.
Polk also stocks up on mackerel; the omega-3s in fish like mackerel, salmon, and sardines may protect us against not only heart disease, but also cancer. “The research is encouraging,” says Polk. “There are also omega 3s in walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables, but it’s believed that they are not utilized nearly as well as the omega 3s that come in fish.”