18 foods to boost your health – and the planet’s

Collage: human heart made up of various foods, mostly berries

From chicken and kimchi to berries and barley, incorporate these nutritious foods into your diet and we’ll all feel the benefit

Kale

The posterboy of vegetables: healthy for your gut and the planet, and easy to grow at home.

Red split lentils

Easy to cook, high in protein, fibre and iron, great for our microbiome and very affordable. An easy addition to soups and sauces, and great for young children and babies. They can be grown all year – and help fix nitrogen into the soil.

Chickpeas

High in protein and prebiotic fibres. Tinned chickpeas are great in curries, hummus or to roast in the oven as a high-fibre snack. Can also be made into a tofu by blending with water and setting. Good for a healthy gut and planet as they are climate resilient.

Soya beans

Easy to grow and surprisingly high in protein. Great as a snack or to add to dishes.

Nuts

Great source of fibre, protein and polyphenols. Improve health when consumed regularly and improve blood glucose control. They also require less intensive farming methods.

Mushrooms

An underrated source of a multitude of nutrients: mushrooms may reduce chronic disease, improve our vitamin D levels and are a great source of vegetable protein while having a neutral or even negative carbon footprint.

Berries

Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries can be frozen when in season locally, – reducing the transport of berries across continents. Cheap ones are as good as expensive types for fibre and polyphenols.

Barley and buckwheat

Whole grains are excellent for longevity and health: nutritious, delicious and with fewer readily available starches causing fewer blood sugar spikes. (Not quinoa, as this not only causes greater sugar spikes, but also impacts Peruvian farmers as they grow masses of quinoa instead of other diverse indigenous plants to meet demand.)

Clams and mussels

Sustainable and ethical seafood filled with potassium, iron and vitamin B12.

Organic eggs

A great source of protein, as well as omega fatty acids, essential vitamins and amino acids. We should aim to eat two to six a week.

One small chicken

Planet-friendly when eaten for its meat and the carcass used to make a broth. Chicken is the most sustainable farmed meat if limited to one chicken a week for a household of four.

Sauerkraut and kimchi

Naturally probiotic foods that turn unwanted scrap vegetables into a delicious addition to your meal. High in beneficial fermentation products and prebiotic fibres, and cheap to make.

Broccoli

Hundreds of beneficial chemicals that have proven health benefits. Better when steamed with extra virgin olive oil and eaten with vitamin C-rich foods such as tomatoes to aid nutrient absorption. A sturdy plant that grows well in all climates.

Aromatic herbs and spices

Packed with polyphenols, even in small amounts they add to the diversity of our fibre intake. Minimal impact on the environment thanks to being easily grown at home. Add a spice mix to any dish to help your gut microbes.

Food for Life by Tim Spector is published by Vintage (£20). To support the Guardian, order your copy for £17.40 at guardianbookshop.com. Join the waiting list for the ZOE app at joinzoe.com

Source: Health & wellbeing | The Guardian

You May Also Like

Intermittent weekend exercise has same brain benefits as regular workouts, study finds

Cramming your exercise into the weekend not only brings physical benefits on…

How can you regain your appetite for life? Slow down a little – and savour everything

Until recently, most evenings, after my toddler had finally fallen asleep, I…

Delivery of a costly camera put identity theft in sharp focus

Last month an expensive GoPro action camera that I had not ordered…

How should I tell my bigoted mother that my daughter has come out? | Ask Annalisa Barbieri

About 10 months ago my 27-year-old daughter came out as gay. This…