7 foods to eat more often and why

Some common ingredients can have powerfully positive effects on our health. Here are seven worth adding more of to your diet.

There have never been so many different foods to choose from. It can sometimes be difficult to know which nutrients to prioritise from one day to the next. Should you focus more on protein, fibre or vitamin C?

To make it easier, researchers have analysed more than 1,000 raw foods and ranked those that provide the best balance of daily nutritional requirements.

Here are seven of them, along with evidence showing why they should be included in your next shopping list.

Almonds

This nut is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Regular consumption has been found to possibly help with diabetes and boost cardiovascular health by reducing “bad” cholesterol while increasing “good” cholesterol.

In one study, scientists asked 77 adults to eat 320 calories of almonds or crackers every day for 12 weeks. The participants all had risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes, including high blood pressure. After the 12 weeks, those who ate almonds had lower levels of “bad” cholesterol, better gut health and less inflammation.

A 2022 study involving 87 people who ate either whole almonds, ground almonds or a muffin every day for four weeks found that eating whole and ground almonds boosted their intake of monounsaturated fatty acids, fibre, potassium and other important nutrients.

The researchers found that butyrate was significantly higher among almond eaters. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that fuels the cells lining the colon. These cells help create ideal conditions for gut microbes to flourish, strengthen the gut wall and improve nutrient absorption.

In addition, people who ate whole almonds had an extra 1.5 bowel movements per week compared to the other groups.

Swiss chard

This leafy vegetable is a rare dietary source of betalains, a phytochemical with neuroprotective qualities. This means it may help protect the nervous system from damage and the effects of ageing.

“Swiss chard contains nitrates, which help the body produce nitric oxide, a signalling molecule that improves the health of our circulation,” says William Li, president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, a US non-profit focused on disease prevention.

This helps lower blood pressure, improves blood flow and heals the lining of blood vessels that can be damaged during ageing, Li adds.

Swiss chard also contains polyphenols, including quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, which are powerful antioxidants that protect cells and help lower inflammation, he says.

Swiss chard is also a good source of fibre and contains magnesium, which is needed for cellular energy, vitamin K, which supports blood clotting, and lutein, which is important for eye and brain health.

Swiss chard is especially beneficial for older adults who want to improve blood flow, maintain vision health and support brain, heart and vascular health, Li says.

The best way to consume Swiss chard, Li says, is to avoid overboiling it, as this removes some of the nutrients. He also notes that most of the beneficial nutrients are stored in the leaves.

Watercress

This leafy green vegetable belongs to the brassica family, which also includes broccoli, cabbage and kale.

Watercress contains high amounts of B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3 and B6, alongside vitamins C and E. It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, iron and polyphenols.

It also contains lutein and beta-carotene, which help support eye health and immune function.

Regularly eating watercress may help lower inflammation in the body, which is known to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes over time. It may also help reduce levels of unhealthy cholesterol.

Watercress contains phenethyl isothiocyanate, a natural compound linked to its ability to slow cancer cell growth. Alongside broccoli, watercress is considered one of the best sources of phenethyl isothiocyanate.

Watercress was ranked the top antidepressant plant in a 2018 study by the World Journal of Psychiatry because of its high nutrient density, including iron, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, potassium and vitamins.

Beetroot greens

Despite beetroot being widely consumed, most people eat only the root, even though the leaves contain many nutrients and beneficial compounds.

“Beetroot is, in practice, commonly understood as the root itself, and this is how it is typically sold, prepared and remembered in everyday life. As a result, the leaves tend to fall outside usual dietary habits and are often discarded.

“Cultural habits strongly shape what is considered edible or desirable, and in some contexts, leafy parts of vegetables are viewed as secondary or unfamiliar in everyday cooking.”

This also applies to many other vegetables, says Luis Gustavo Sabóia Ponte, a researcher at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas and professor at Universidade Paulista and Centro Universitário Senac.

Beetroot leaves are packed with calcium, iron, vitamin K and B vitamins, especially riboflavin.

Beetroot leaves tend to contain higher levels of proteins and minerals and also contain phenolic compounds associated with antioxidant activity, Ponte says.

In a 2019 study involving overweight and obese adults with high levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol, participants who ate freeze-dried beetroot leaves for four weeks experienced lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Last year, Ponte set out to establish whether the nutrients in beetroot leaves are bioavailable, meaning the body can digest and benefit from them.

The study showed that beet leaves remained biologically active after simulated digestion in the lab. The digested leaves showed antioxidant activity and helped protect DNA against oxidative damage.

Ponte also tested the digested leaves on colorectal cancer cells and observed a reduction in cell growth and colony formation.

However, he says caution must be applied to the findings. While some compounds in the leaves remained available after simulated digestion, others, including vitexin and apigenin, were detected in lower amounts after digestion.

Ponte’s simulated digestion study mainly covered the small intestine and excluded the colonic phase, where the large intestine processes leftover waste. This is also where gut bacteria can transform some of these compounds and potentially alter their effects.

Fully confirming whether humans can absorb all the nutrients in beetroot leaves would require further human and laboratory studies that take the full digestive process into account, Ponte says.

Still, he says the findings demonstrate that beetroot leaves are a potentially valuable food.

Chia seeds

These tiny black seeds are densely packed with fibre, protein, alpha-linolenic acid, phenolic acid and vitamins, including high amounts of B vitamins.

They contain phytochemicals that can help protect the heart and liver, alongside omega-3 fatty acids that support the immune system.

Chia seeds have been linked to numerous health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, improving healthy cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

However, there is evidence suggesting people may not benefit from chia seeds as much as expected.

Rachel Burton, a professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia, had been studying dietary fibre for years when she decided to investigate chia seeds.

“There were, and still are, many health claims all over the internet associated with consuming chia seeds, particularly linked to benefits for the gut microbiome, but there did not seem to be much solid science to support them,” she says.

One of the most common claims involved their high fibre content.

“Dietary fibre is a key dietary component and most of us do not eat enough of it. If the claims about chia were incorrect and people were paying for an expensive foodstuff on this basis, then this is important to know,” she says.

In her 2023 study, Burton conducted a series of lab tests comparing whole chia seeds with ground chia seeds. The findings suggested that eating whole chia seeds can limit nutrient absorption.

Chia seeds are made up of two components: the mucilage on the outside, which contains fibre, and the omega fats inside the seed, particularly omega-3.

“By eating chia seeds whole, it means that the nutrients that are promoted are not actually available,” she says.

The mucilage remains attached to the seed, while the omega fats stay trapped inside.

“So unless you chew everything for a long time, the seeds pass through your gut essentially unchanged,” Burton says.

Grinding chia seeds makes the omega fats more accessible. Burton advises grinding other seeds as well, including flax and linseed.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin is harvested around the world for its peel, flesh and seeds.

Pumpkin seeds contain high amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are associated with numerous health benefits and a lower risk of disease.

Research suggests the amount of fat in pumpkin seeds can vary depending on the pumpkin variety, and there are around 150 varieties worldwide.

Pumpkin seeds also contain linoleic acid, oleic acid and palmitic acid, which have been shown to support heart health.

They have also been linked to neuroprotective benefits, meaning they may help protect the nervous system against damage to the brain, nerves and mental health caused by exposure to toxic substances such as lead, mercury, some medicines, agricultural insecticides and excessive alcohol.

In a study published in 2025, scientists divided 50 rats into five groups. For two weeks, one group received a basic diet, while the others were given roasted or raw pumpkin seed supplements in different amounts.

The rats that consumed pumpkin seeds showed improvements in anxiety, cognition and memory. Roasted pumpkin seeds showed the greatest benefits, possibly because roasting makes the nutrients more bioavailable by breaking down the cells and releasing antioxidants linked to the cell walls.

Dandelion greens

When it comes to eating a healthy and varied diet, one of the biggest barriers is availability. Fortunately, dandelion greens are abundant and accessible to many people once spring arrives.

Dandelion greens may not seem like an obvious kitchen staple, but they are packed with beneficial compounds that have anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancer effects. Some studies also show links to a lower risk of heart disease, although researchers say there is still insufficient human research to draw firm conclusions.

Dandelion greens are a rich source of phenolic acids, flavonoids, vitamins A, C, E, K and B, as well as minerals such as calcium, sodium, magnesium and iron.

Dandelion leaves are consumed around the world in salads and soups, as seasonings and syrups, and in wine or as tea and coffee substitutes.