Bacon as a health food? Oh yeah, I’m on board

There was a great article in June’s Bon Appetit magazine called “The Terrific 10”.  The author, Daniel Duane, has stolen my thunder and in a national magazine no less!  The Food Geek big mouths have long preached that the best diet is one that has variety and incorporates not only whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, but fats and sugar as well.  The key is balance and moderation.  Nothing should be off limits as long as it is minimally processed and whole.  So, in Mr. Duane’s article, he highlighted 10 foods which he believes should be a part of a healthful diet and I agree wholeheartedly with his list!  Here we go:

1. Bacon – everything is better with bacon, right?  It tastes delicious and you don’t need much to enhance your food and have the smell infiltrate your house.  Which begs the question….why don’t they make a bacon scented candle for indoor use?  Hmm.  I might be on to something here.  That aside, it’s been shown that 45 percent of the fat in bacon is monounsaturated.  The monounsaturated fat is oleic acid which is the same fat found in olive oil.  So, there you go.  Behold the awesomeness that is bacon.

2. Whole milk – saturated milk fats may help to absorb calcium better and have high amounts of vitamins A and D.  Skim and lowfat milk are fortified with synthetic vitamins.   There’s also a study that women who ate one serving of full fat milk and cheese each day put on less weight than those women who ate these foods less often.

3. Pine Nuts – one half cup has 11 grams of protein.  They are also chock full of antioxidants and pinolenic acid which is a natural appetite suppressant.   A study shows that eating the fat in nuts helps to maintain weight.

4. Duck breast – If you have never had duck breast, you are missing out.  It is rich, savory, and satisfying.  Duck fat is among the healthiest of animal fat.  Duck has 63% unsaturated fat which is better than beef and competes with chicken on the unsaturated fat scale. 

5. Watercress – Watercress is proven to have high enough antioxidant levels to make a difference in reducing DNA damage to white blood cells, and subsequently some types of cancer.   It lowers elevated blood triglycerides.  And it’s very delicious on a sandwich.

6. Cannellini Beans – high in fiber, potassium, and magnesium.  It helps with blood pressure.  It’s also inexpensive and has a lot of recipe opportunities.  How about this for a summer salad recipe?  Cannellini beans, halved grape tomatoes, scallions or chives, salt and pepper, and some citrus vinaigrette.  Use whatever ratios work for you.

7. Leeks – love the leeks.  I blogged about leeks in detail here.  They are a great source of fiber.  They also have folic acid, iron, potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. 

8. Anchovies – These are an omega-3 powerhouse.  I know what you’re thinking, but give it a try.  Chop fine (i.e. camouflage) and add to pasta sauces or salads.

9. Fresh strawberries – there’s a study that shows that they fight inflammation, cancer-causing compounds, and may help reduce bad cholesterol.

10. Buckwheat – It’s an herb, not a grain.  It has all of the essential amino acids, B vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper.  It’s also high in fiber.  How to get it?  How about soba noodles?  You can also buy buckwheat flour and make pancakes.  Yum.  Just don’t drench it in the corn syrup marketed as maple syrup.

You can read the full article here.  Enjoy!

Meridith