9 Key Foods for Men

Posted May 2020
2020-06
Nicoise salad (tuna, egg, green beans, lettuce, tomato, olives & potato) on Corn Thins slices

As a man you may feel bombarded by information on women’s health and may feel left out. There is a large amount of similarities between what a healthy diet looks life for men and women but there is no denying there are some key foods and nutrients which men would benefit from eating. Selecting 9 key foods to support men’s health is not an easy task as each food has different nutrients which may benefit the body and promote health. After much consideration, here are a Dietitian’s choices of the top 9 key foods which men will benefit from eating:

  1. Tomatoes

These fruits (yes, they are a fruit) are important for men because they contain an antioxidant called lycopene which is linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer. Tomatoes which have been processed are the best choice as they contain more lycopene, try canned tomatoes in a pasta dish or a chicken parmigiana.

  1. Yoghurt

This dairy source has so many health benefits including a source of probiotic which keeps your gut healthy and help metabolism and immune function. Yoghurt is a great source of dairy for healthy and strong bones, which help prevent osteoporosis (no it is not just an older person’s disease). Dairy has increasing evidence to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

  1. Whole grains

Whole grains are an often-neglected food group if you eat out as most cafes and restaurants will use the refined of white version of pasta, rice and breads like Italian breads. What you need to look for here are words like brown rice and pasta, quinoa and couscous and whole grain in the word of the bread. This is great news if you love CORN THINS ™ products as they have a variety of whole grain options to add as a part of your meal or snack.

This food group does fantastic things for your gut and acts as prebiotics to the probiotics in your gut, in other words they feed the good bacteria in your gut to make sure they stay healthy and well. Whole grains are important for your body to get a range of different B vitamins which helps your body make red blood cells as well as convert the food you eat into energy.

  1.  Fish

Eating fish 2-3 times a week, with a serving being around 100g of fish will give your body a big dose of health. Fish contains many important nutrients including omega-3 which supports a healthy heart as well as improving mood. Iodine also a major benefit of eating fish which helps support your thyroid, a gland which is needed for healthy metabolism. If you are thinking it is too much effort to cook, then you will be happy to know that canned varieties in spring water are of equal standard of the fresh. Try the more fattier varieties like salmon, herring, mackerel and tuna.

  1. Eat Your Rainbow

When it comes to eating vegetables, getting your 5 serves is not enough, a variety is needed. Why not a specific vegetable? Each vegetable is important in a different way and provides your body with different nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants to support the healthiest you. Not one vegetable is the miracle vegetable and when you eat a variety of vegetables of different colours you are providing yourself with more factors which can help prevent many cancers and support your immunity. Vegetables in all forms are a great low energy food with lots of fibre, which helps you feel fuller for longer. When you include around half of your meal with vegetables you are less likely to overeat, being a healthy weight not only makes you feel good but not having the dreaded ‘beer belly’ reduces the risk of heart disease. Recent studies have shown that each week you need to eat 30 different types of plant-based foods for optimal gut health and good bacteria variety!

  1. Bananas

This fruit really is gold because it is already packaged, does not require washing and is ready to eat. Banana’s are a great source of soluble fibre and potassium which helps decrease your bad or LDL cholesterol and keeps you blood pressure within a healthy range.

  1. Nuts

30g of nuts (a small handful) a day is a great healthy snack. Nuts have lots of healthy fats to help healthy cholesterol levels in your body. The fibre and protein in nuts helps you feel fuller for longer so you won’t be as tempted to reach for the doughnut or muffin in the office kitchen.  On top of all these factors nuts also contain magnesium, a nutrient which may decrease your risk of type two diabetes.

  1. Oats

A timeless breakfast choice which has not lost it’s important to your health. It contains three types of fibre, soluble, insoluble and resistant starch which helps make you feel fuller for longer, the soluble fibre helps lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol and insoluble fibre keeps you a regular, healthy customer to the bathroom. Being regular is important for more than comfort but may prevent cancers like colorectal cancer.

  1. Legumes

It is true what they say, “baked beans are good for your heart, the more you eat the more you…” Legumes are a great meat alternative which also has an added benefit of containing all three types of fibre. This fibre has many benefits including promoting healthy cholesterol and improving how your body controls the levels of glucose in your blood. Legumes can help with weight management, reduce the risk of diabetes, some cancers and heart disease.

 

Take home message: Try incorporating these 9 key foods during your week and set your body up to take on the world. On top of this these foods promote long term health which will allow you to live to your best and be the superman you want to be!

  • Article By:
    • Ashleigh Felth…