The 7 ‘superfoods’ you should eat every week to stay healthy and live longer

Whether it’s trying to get our ‘five a day’ or trying to eat 30 plants a week, many of us follow rules or checklists to eat healthily.

It can be helpful to have simple instructions to aim for on a daily or weekly basis.

But that doesn’t mean building nutritious meals is an exact science.

For Duane Mellor, registered dietitian and Aston Medical School’s head of Nutrition and Evidence-Based Medicine, it’s less about eating specific foods every day and more about “building different food patterns over weeks and months” that’s important.

“The key is variety and that includes a range of foods and trying to mix things up, eating only one food is not very good for anyone,” he explained.

He and Dr. Pamela Mason, nutritionist and consultant for the General Mills fiber campaign, agreed that we should aim to eat certain groups of foods each week.

From green veggies to berries and oily fish, here’s what you should be adding to your plate daily or weekly.

1. A rainbow of veggies

According to Dr Mellor, it is vital to eat vegetables every day, “but not the same ones”.

“Try to eat two or three different types of leafy vegetables, vary the salad and roots to get different sources of fiber and phytonutrients,” he said.

Dr. Mason advised you to get your doses of veggies through your meals and snacks.

Not only are they a source of fibre, which will keep your gut healthy, you’ll be eating “a phytonutrient linked to a reduced risk of various diseases, such as heart disease”, continued Dr Mason.

She said that green vegetables in particular – such as broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts – “are a source of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that have been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease”.

“They can be fresh or frozen,” said the nutritionist.

For Dr Mellor, he suggested “trying to eat the rainbow”.

“The greater variety of colors means a wider variety of polyphenols.”

These are micronutients that occur naturally in plants, which “work through our gut and our body systems to help keep us healthy,” said the nutritionist.

2. Chicken, turkey and fish

According to Dr Mason, we should aim to eat some form of lean protein every day “for growth and development and maintenance of muscle mass”.

This can be anything from chicken, turkeylean fish and red meat to beans and pulses.

“There is no one source that you need to eat daily,” explained Dr. Mason.

“Incorporate them into a weekly meal plan and eat them weekly or on a two-week rotation basis.

“Don’t forget beans as a source of fiber as well as vitamins, minerals and lean protein.”

3. Lentils, peas and beans

Dr Mellor suggested you try and “eat legumes or legumes daily, but mix it up between lentils, peas and beans”.

This can even include baked beans, as long as you don’t have the same thing every day.

“This will also help with fiber to help keep your gut microbiome healthy,” said the nutritionist.

4. Apples, berries and oranges

Dr Mason said: “It is also important to eat fruit every day, again because of its fiber content and its content of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.”

Dr Mellor noted that you should still aim to mix up the type of fruit you’re eating during the week, but you can choose between fresh and frozen.

“Maybe start with three types and work up,” he advised.

“Apples are great, but so are berries and oranges.”

Dr Mason recommended fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or mixed berries daily.

“Eating berries helps you reach your daily vitamin and mineral and fiber recommendations and they also contain phytonutrients such as anthocyanins and flavonoids, which reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” she explained.

5. Oats, barley and whole grains

It is important to get a daily dose of fiber and you can do this by eating oats or barley, Dr Mellor said.

Both “beta glucan, which can help lower cholesterol “.

But don’t think you can only get your fiber boost through porridge.

Try adding some pearl barley to soups and stews, suggested Dr Mellor.

Apart from oats, Dr Mason recommended eating whole grain bread because of its fiber content.

“Oats contain soluble fibre, which helps you feel fuller for longer, while wholegrain bread has a higher proportion of insoluble fiber which can keep stools soft.

“Increase has a lot of fiber benefits including weight management, bowel health and reducing the risk of diabetes,” she explained.

6. Nuts

Dr Mason said: “Nuts are a source of fiber and healthy fats and research has shown that people who eat five or more portions a week have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who eat less than a serving of nuts one every month.”

Make sure your nuts aren’t salted or sweetened, and don’t have more than a handful at a time.

7. Salmon, sardines and mackerel

Finally, it’s worth having a portion of oily fish every week, according to Dr Mason, which is around 140g.

Choose from fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel.

Dr Mason said that oily fish intake is generally low in the UK, with people having 56g instead of the recommended 140g each week.

“Oily fish is a source of omega-3 fatty acids that are important for maintaining heart and brain health,” she explained.

It comes after Japanese researchers estimated that there would be 750,000 fewer deaths worldwide by 2050 if people ate more forage fish – such as herring and anchovies – instead of red meat.