The 9 Most Underrated Healthy Foods
Some foods simply radiate star power. Apples and bananas? They’ve got their own song. Peanuts, potatoes, and pepperjack cheese? They’re in your pantry—and the cooking hall of fame.
But the obvious choices aren’t the only ones—and they're not even necessarily the best. “People tend to fall into certain patterns—we’re creatures of habit,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Mindy Haar, assistant dean at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Health Professions. “But from a nutritional point of view, by varying your diet, you’re going to get ahead." In addition to exposing yourself to nutrients you might not be getting from the same old foods, switching up your standard fare can also be a delightful surprise for your taste buds.
We asked dietitians to reveal their favorite underrated healthy foods, plus ideas on how to incorporate them into your diet.
Celery
The simple celery stalk—often thought of only as a hummus-dipping vehicle—deserves to be reconsidered. It’s packed with essential nutrients like vitamin K, potassium, and folate, as well as a variety of antioxidants. Plus, it’s versatile, says Laura Pensiero, a chef and registered dietitian who owns the restaurant Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck, N.Y. While the stalks can be chopped up and used in salads, stir-fry recipes, soups, and stews, the leaves hold untapped potential, too. Pensiero suggests using them to make a fresh, herby pesto that levels up pasta and grilled vegetables or can be smeared on sandwiches. You can also blend celery leaves into your favorite smoothie or juice for an extra kick of nutrition.
Clementines
This flavorful fruit—a hybrid between a mandarin and a sweet orange—is one of Haar’s favorite choices for a nutrient-dense snack or even dessert. Because they’re small, two clementines are considered a serving; they're about the equivalent of one big orange, calorie-wise. “Clementines are wonderful sources of vitamin C,” she says. “They have some fiber, they’re satisfying if you’re thirsty, they're very portable, and you can go on a hike and not worry about keeping them refrigerated.”
Pumpkin seeds
These flat, oval-shaped seeds are “small but mighty when it comes to nutrition,” says Maggie Michalczyk, a Chicago-based registered dietitian and author of The Great Big Pumpkin Cookbook. “They’re packed with plant-based protein, healthy fat, and fiber, as well as important micronutrients like zinc, iron, copper, and magnesium.” Just 1 oz. of pumpkin seeds will give you 168 mg of magnesium, which is 40% of the daily recommendation for adults. Consider sprinkling them onto toast, tossing them into your favorite salad, mixing them into guacamole, or subbing them in for pine nuts in pesto, Michalczyk suggests.
Pomegranate juice
Hydration: great! Hydration with nutrition benefits: even better. Michalczyk likes pomegranate juice, which contains health-boosting polyphenol antioxidants and is also a good source of potassium—an important electrolyte that plays a role in muscle function. “I love its tart bright flavor for warm-weather cocktails and mocktails,” she says. One of Michalczyk’s favorite recipes involves mixing 100% pomegranate juice with sparkling water, adding a squeeze of lime juice, and topping with fresh mint. Or, for a mocktail that’s “delicious and looks like a sunset,” she suggests mixing pomegranate juice with passion fruit puree and sparkling water, and then garnishing it with mint.
Freekeh
This ancient whole grain isn't as popular in the U.S. as, say, quinoa. But it’s commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine, in part because it’s a great source of protein, fiber, potassium, and folate. “The seeds are a bit tender and the kernels are roasted, so it has a smoky, nutty flavor," Haar says. She serves it in place of rice or barley in all kinds of dishes, sometimes mixing it with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, and raisins. It’s been a hit: “I find that when I entertain and have people over, they're excited to try new things,” she says, and head home inspired to recreate the recipes themselves.
Prunes
Perhaps you think of prunes in association with relieving constipation—a great benefit of the fruit, thanks to its fiber. But there’s so much more to the dried plums, says Erin Palinski-Wade, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist in New York. Research suggests eating five or six prunes a day can slow bone loss and prevent the risk of fractures. Plus, they can lower heart disease risk in postmenopausal women.
While there’s nothing wrong with eating prunes straight from the package, you can also experiment with more creative approaches. Consider blending them into a puree that you can swap for butter, sugar, or eggs in your favorite baked goods, for example. Palinski-Wade uses pureed prunes in chocolate chip cookies—her kids love them, she says, and it’s nice to add some health benefits to a tasty treat.
Sardines
It’s time to get over your tinned-fish ick, Michalczyk says: Sardines are a nutrient-dense, protein-packed staple that belong in your pantry. One can contains 351 mg of calcium, 35 mg of magnesium, and 364 mg of potassium, among other nutrients. That makes sardines a "secret weapon to up the nutrition of anything you add them to,” Michalczyk says. Eat them directly out of the can, with crackers, in pasta, or on avocado toast, she suggests.
Hemp hearts
First, to clarify: The soft-shelled seeds of the hemp plant don't contain psychoactive or mind-altering properties. They are, however, rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals like magnesium. “They’re a true powerhouse, and a convenient way to upgrade so many dishes,” says Lora Silver, an oncology dietitian at Yale New Haven Health's Smilow Cancer Hospital. She likes adding them to her fruit and yogurt parfait, swirling them into French toast batter and salad dressings, and dusting them over avocado toast. When she craves a “creamy porridge,” she blends them with ground flaxseeds, shredded coconut, and nut butter for a grain-free, high-fiber, low-carb hot cereal.
Watercress
Kale tends to get more attention than this leafy supergreen—and Silver believes it’s time to change that. In one study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, watercress was rated as the top "powerhouse" choice out of 41 fruits and vegetables, based on its nutrient density and association with reduced chronic disease risk. The obvious way to use it is in a salad, but you can get more inventive, too. Silver suggests balancing watercress’ peppery flavor with carmelized onions in a sandwich, or pairing it with peanut sauce in a grain bowl or wrap