There's so much produce on the shelves, and so many health fads vying for our attention, that it can sometimes be hard to know what we should be eating. So many people claiming that this veg does that or this fruit will make your nails look incredible, but what’s the truth? Well, here are some of the best fruits and vegetables to eat daily if you're looking to make some healthier choices.
Fruits With the Best Health Benefits
Avocados
Avocados are hugely beneficial for heart health for a number of reasons. Avocado contains plenty of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure, as well as enough dietary fibre to lower the risk of heart disease. Avocados also come with fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, which are great at reducing LDL cholesterol levels.
Avocados also help you cut out unnecessary carbs and lose belly fat, as they're packed full of energy and plant compounds that do the same job - without flooding your body with stuff it has to store as fat.
So, to avoid cardiovascular disease, start a weight management or weight loss regime, or just boost your overall health, it's probably worth trying that avocado on toast everyone's been raving about!
Bananas
Similar to avocados, bananas can give us a boost of fibre to support our digestive and heart health. Fibre is also thought to play a role in a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. The benefits of the fibre-filled banana aren't over yet, though! The fibre content can help us achieve lower cholesterol levels and improve gut health - not to mention regular bowel movements.
Plus, with their antioxidant properties, bananas do everything from supporting the immune system to protecting against free radical damage caused by toxins and chemical byproducts created as the body converts food into energy.
Bananas are infamous for their potassium content. Potassium is an electrolyte, which aids muscle function, lowers blood pressure, and generally helps us feel strong and energised!
Blueberries
Berries, especially blueberries, are usually called superfoods. This is because they contain, without hyperbole, all the nutrients under the sun.
At 85% water, blueberries don't have much space for things like calories or carbs. This makes these tasty blue morsels high in fibre, as well as vitamin C and K!
Vitamin C is thought to be one of the most essential nutrients, important in everything from reduced risk of chronic diseases to preventing gout and boosting the immune system. Vitamin K can't be ignored either, helping to clot blood and build healthy bones.
We're only just scratching the surface here - blueberries have antioxidant properties and cancer-fighting properties. They help protect brain function and neurons (especially as they age). They can fight UTIs and muscle damage caused by intense exercise. Basically, go and eat some blueberries. You won't regret it!
Cherries
These aren't just dessert garnish - but cherries are so tasty that it's often ignored how important they are as part of a healthy diet.
Cherries are high in polyphenols, which are plant compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds are also essential nutrients in the fight against heart disease, diabetes, age-related mental decline, as well as certain cancers.
Tart cherries in particular have even been shown to improve recovery after exercise, reducing muscle pain and strength loss. It's even thought that they boost your performance during exercise, thanks to their antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Arthritis is sometimes caused by a build-up of uric acid, and these anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to suppress the causes of arthritis. Plus, uric acid can also cause gout - so cherries are pretty good at treating the disease of kings as well.
Taking all of this into account, we should probably start saying 'a cherry a day keep the doctor away'...
Citrus Fruits
We've been talking about the healthiest fruits and essential vitamins, and we haven't even mentioned citrus fruits yet!
You probably know that citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. You might even know that a single orange has enough vitamin C to keep you going for the whole day. But did you know that vitamin C can also prevent iron deficiency by improving iron absorption? Or that it can help with heart disease prevention - the leading cause of death worldwide - thanks to its ability to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels?
The health benefits of citrus fruits don't end there.
Citruses, like oranges and grapefruits, are high in soluble fibre - also helping to lower cholesterol and improve gut health. Extremely low in calories and even having a helping hand in a reduced risk of kidney stones, citruses have also been linked to lower cancer risks. Lung cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer have all been shown to develop less frequently in citrus lovers.
Raspberries
We're closing off our healthiest fruits list with another berry because you really can't get enough out of a diet rich in these tasty miracles.
Raspberries are impressively high in fibre. Raspberries also come packed with tannins, plant compounds which reduce the amount of carbs we absorb. They also have a low glycemic index (GI) measure, meaning they don't flood our bodies with blood sugar. Along with their blood sugar control benefits, being 85% water makes them incredibly filling whilst low in calories.
Raspberries might even protect against arthritis by blocking the enzyme responsible for inflammation. Their high fibre content is thought to regulate blood sugar levels and fat intake, among the other benefits we've seen a lot today. Their antioxidant properties might also help reduce ageing - by fighting free radical toxins.
We still need more research to be sure of all of that, but the fact we're still searching for the limits of what raspberries can do for us pretty much proves how essential it is to eat them regularly!
The Healthiest Vegetables to Eat
Broccoli
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are packed with fibre and antioxidants, both of which are essential for healthy digestive and bowel function. With the beneficial bacteria in your gut thanks to broccoli, you'll see improved bowel movements and less inflammation in the colon (okay, so you won't see that bit).
Broccoli also has a fair amount of calcium, as well as the flavonoid kaempferol, both of which can support oral and dental health. With a reduced risk of periodontal disease, broccoli might also have oral cancer-fighting properties - thanks to the sulforaphane that's literally created as you chew. Bet you weren't expecting that!
Carrots
We're all told carrots are great for eye health, but is it true?
Healthy eyesight can come from beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. This vitamin is needed for night vision, as it helps your eyes create certain essential pigments to combat night blindness. And it just so happens that carrots are so full of beta carotene that it's obvious (because it also causes their bright orange colour).
Beta carotene (as well as alpha-carotene) also comes with antioxidants that have been linked to a decreased risk of cancer and, along with their potassium content, carrots can lower your chance of cardiovascular disease.
Along with vitamin A, carrots come with plenty of vitamin C - thought to improve skin ageing and overall health, protecting it against oxidative damage.
Dark Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens are some of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can find.
If you're looking for a huge punch of vitamin K - that nutrient which can help with blood and bone health - then look no further than kale. With 68% of your daily vitamin K dose (and 22% of your vitamin C) in just 21 grams, kale is absolutely packed with essential nutrients and just as many health benefits. It's another cruciferous vegetable, and has enough plant-based calcium to help support your bones and teeth!
Swiss chard comes with plenty of vitamin K too, as well as magnesium. This nutrient is believed to be able to ease headaches and migraines, improve the quality of sleep, and even act as an antidepressant! When combined with vitamin B6 (found in other dark leafy greens), magnesium can even soothe menstruation symptoms. Swiss chard also contains a flavonoid called syringic acid, which is thought to lower blood sugar levels.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are another of the most nutrient-dense vegetables out there. Similar to carrots, sweet potatoes have β-Carotene - which can improve eye health and lower cancer risk.
But they're also high in manganese, a nifty little nutrient which has been linked to a whole host of health benefits. It's thought to lower the risk of epileptic seizures because it helps to enlarge veins and increase blood flow to the brain. Plus, it can control our metabolism and make more efficient use of what we eat.
That's not even getting into how sweet potatoes can lead to improved thyroid function, helping us maintain a better appetite and manage our weight better!
Garlic
Okay, so you're not going to eat an entire bulb of garlic - but it's still one of the healthiest vegetables out there, and definitely worth an extra round of mouthwash!
Garlic has antiviral properties, boosting the immune system and even protecting us against the common cold! It's also thought to improve exercise, with Olympic athletes in ancient Greece eating garlic to reduce fatigue and boost their performance! Eating garlic also introduces sulfur compounds into the body, which can detoxify the heavy metals that we're constantly picking up from pollution.
Get the Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat From Ripe
So, now you know some of the best fruits and vegetables to eat daily as part of a balanced diet - but how do you make sure that you eat them?
That's where we come in.
Ripe London is a fresh fruit and veggie delivery service, committed to getting only the healthiest vegetables and fruits to workplaces and homes across the capital. We know how much time people are spending in the office these days, which is why we think it's the perfect time to get plant-based vitamins and minerals into our diets.
To get more out of what you eat, check out our office fruit boxes and fruit gift baskets today!