I’ve often recommened the Mayo Clinic’s excellent website, and I wanted to share their new slide show on 10 great health foods for eating well. Everyone should be interested in their tips, which are based on multiple criteria:

• Good or excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients
• High in phytonutrients and antioxidant compounds, such as vitamins A and E and beta-carotene
• May help reduce risk of heart disease and other health conditions
• Low in calorie density, meaning you get a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories
• Readily available

They chose ten items:

• Almonds
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Red beans
• Salmon
• Spinach
• Sweet potatoes
• Vegetable juice
• Wheat germ

Each slide is accompanied by some important info on each food; for example, here is their blurb about one of my favorites, almonds:

These tear-shaped nuts are packed with nutrients — fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. In fact, one serving (about seven almonds) has more calcium than any other nut — 23 milligrams. One serving also provides 15 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin E. Like all nuts, almonds provide plant protein, so you don’t need to eat so much meat. And they’re good for your heart. Most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated fat — a healthier type of fat that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

I think these are all great foods for everyone, and all are readily available. Which ones do you eat?