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Souped-Up Summer Snacking
This Week's Tips
Just because good things are in your salsa doesn't mean you're getting all the good out of it.
If you toss some avocado chunks into the spicy red stuff, you'll absorb 400 percent more lycopene from the tomatoes. Avocados give spinach salad a boost, too.
Salad on Steroids
Topping spinach salad with half a cup of sliced avocado helps you absorb 14 times more beta carotene from the greens. Lycopene and beta carotene are fat-soluble carotenoids -- meaning they need to piggyback with fat to be absorbed in your small intestine. Avocado, olive oil, pine nuts . . . any source of healthful fat will do the trick.
What do you get in return? Healthier eyes, a stronger cardiovascular system, and possibly even protection from certain types of cancer. Are you getting your share of carotenoids? Fill out this online food questionnaire and find out.
Find foods rich in beta carotene and lycopene with this tool.
Recipe Corner
Boost your carotenoid intake with these recipes from EatingWell.
RealAge Benefit:
Eating a diverse diet that includes 5 servings of vegetables per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.
RealAge Smart Search: Do you know good fats from bad? Find out more with these articles from RealAge Smart Search.
Carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa by humans is enhanced by the addition of avocado or avocado oil. Unlu, N. Z., Bohn, T., Clinton, S. K., Schwartz, S. J., Journal of Nutrition 2005 Mar;135(3):431-436.
Avocado increases the bioavailability of carotenoids from test meals in humans. Unlu, Z. N., Schwartz, S. J., Clinton, S. K., International Food Technology (IFT) Annual Meeting, July 12-16, 2004.
