Antioxidant Meals: Supplement Your Diet With These Antioxidant-Rich Recipes
Earlier this week, we talked about spring-cleaning your supplement habits and how whole foods are always the best way to get the nutrients your body needs. Supplement your diet (pun intended) with antioxidant meals that deliver a nutritional punch. Each of the antioxidant meals outlined below is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that power up your mind and body (and taste good, too).
BREAKFAST: Yummy Multivitamin Smoothie
Why start your day with a multivitamin when you can drink this multivitamin berry-infused smoothie? It heavily features blueberries, which have more antioxidant activity than all other commonly eaten foods in North America. You also get a full spectrum of other vitamins and antioxidants thanks to nutritious ingredients like kale and hemp. Finally, this shake is relatively low on the glycemic index, so you’re beginning your day of antioxidant meals with an energizing drink that doesn’t spike your blood sugar.
1/2 c frozen strawberries
1/2 c frozen blueberries
1 handful each of spinach and kale, washed
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp nut or seed butter of your choice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (plant-based or whey)
1 cup nut milk
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy. Enjoy!
LUNCH: Wheat Berry and Fruit Salad
If you’ve never cooked with wheat berries before, you’re missing out. Try them in today’s lineup of antioxidant meals. “Wheat berry”, the colloquial name for the entire wheat kernel, gives this lunch a nutty taste profile while bursting with nutrients like magnesium, vitamin E and more. Plus, it’s about as “whole grain” as you can get — no milling, processing or grinding of the wheat involved!
Other antioxidant-heavy ingredients include red grapes (rich in flavanols) and dried cranberries (high in vitamin C).
WHEAT BERRIES
2 c raw, dried hard red winter-wheat berries
7 c cold water
1 tsp salt
SALAD
1/3 c orange juice
1/3 c dried unsweetened cranberries
1 large crisp apple, unpeeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
3 tbsp raspberry vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Rinse and wash the wheat berries. To do that, simply place in a pot with the water and salt, bring to a boil, then let it simmer for 60 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
While the wheat berries are cooling, marinate the cranberries in the orange juice for 20 minutes. Mix the wheat berries with all of the other ingredients and enjoy cool or at room temperature.
DINNER: Spaghetti Squash Pasta
Finish your day of antioxidant meals with spaghetti squash pasta. You won’t believe how rich and comforting this meal tastes, without any of the guilt of pasta. That’s because you’re using spaghetti squash instead of noodles. The squash is high in a diverse array of nutrients, plus lots of digestion-boosting fiber.
The creamy alfredo sauce is actually completely dairy-free and vegan. It’s a delicious source of B vitamins, plus lots of healthy fats and magnesium for a healthy metabolism and a deeper rest when you go to bed.
PASTA
4 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1 tbsp water
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Italian herb mix (any variety or brand will do)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE
1/4 cup raw cashews
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 c unsweetened nut milk
1 handful fresh basil (optional)
If you don’t have any pre-cooked spaghetti squash on hand, simply take a large squash, cut it in half, and roast it face-down in your oven until tender and soft. Use a fork to scrape out the insides of the squash, which will come out in beautiful, long strands just like spaghetti noodles.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Add more water to adjust the thickness to your own preference.
In a frying pan, heat some oil and add the spaghetti squash. Then, add the garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Mix and let it cook for five minutes, then pour in the cheese sauce and enjoy.
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