By: Karolina Starczak

Nov 25, 2009

Still gobbling down the same old green bean casserole and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving? With the season of holiday cooking officially upon us, it may be time to take the leap and dive right into uncharted foods, unless you don’t mind sausage stuffing and candied yams for every meal from now till January. For those of us who don’t wish to pay the cardiologist a visit any time soon, here are 5 nutritious foods perfect for holiday cooking:

Cannellini Beans

Cannellini beans or white kidney beans are not only a great source of fiber, but they also contain a compound that partially blocks the digestion of carbohydrates. This natural carb blocker may not only help with weight and blood sugar control, but it may also be a healthy alternative to the shortening or fat used in baking. One study shows that when pureed white kidney beans were used to replace 25 to 50 percent of the shortening in a brownie recipe, the tenderness, texture, or flavor of the brownies was not significantly changed. Also, the 50% bean brownies had 2.6 g less fat and 21 fewer calories per 1.4-oz serving. Bean cookies anyone?

Purple Corn

Purple corn is a pigmented variety of corn originally cultivated in Latin America. Studies indicate that the seed and cob of purple corn is an excellent source of antioxidants. The antioxidant levels found in purple corn may be related to anthocyanins, which are pigments responsible for the red, purple, and blue colors of many fruits and vegetables. These pigments act like scavengers looking for free radicals caused by toxins and carcinogens that may cause damage inside our bodies. Once the radical are identified, the anthocyanins bind to them keeping us safe and protected. The numerous health benefits of anthocyanins include protection against liver injuries, lowering blood pressure, improving eyesight, reducing inflammation, and suppressing growth of cancer cells—looks like there’s a new cob in town.

Turnip Greens

Many of us may have sampled turnips at one point or another, but missed out on the most nutritious part of the plant—the leaves. Turnip leaves or greens are a great source of nutrients such as iron, vitamin A, and calcium. In fact, one cup of turnip greens provides 198 mg of calcium and only 32 calories. That’s almost 20 percent of the recommended daily intake. To put things in perspective, if you have 100 calories of milk it will provide 347 mg, but those same 100 calories of greens have 619 mg of calcium or 62 percent of your daily needs. Not too shabby for less calories than a York Peppermint Pattie.

Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers

Native to the eastern United States, the Jerusalem artichoke is actually a relative of the sunflower. Besides having yellow flowers that are thought to smell like milk chocolate, the plant has thick root-like parts that resembles ginger root called tubers. The tubers are rich in inulin, a non-digestible carbohydrate that promotes the growth and activity of good bacteria in the digestive tract. They actually have a taste similar to potatoes and become soft and mushy when boiled making them the perfect alternative for mashed potatoes.

Amaranth

This high-protein grain dates back thousands of years when it was used to feed Aztec warriors. Amaranth is high in fiber and contains the essential amino acid lysine, which is missing from the majority of grains. Studies also show that the protein found in Amaranth has cholesterol lowering properties. In one particular study hamsters with induced high cholesterol that were fed amaranth protein reduced their total cholesterol by 48% in 4 weeks! Try substituting Amaranth for rice or throw it in a skillet and pop the grains like popcorn to create a healthy topping for casseroles.

What are your healthy holiday foods?

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