Healthy food recipes start with the most healthy, nutrient dense foods.

Healthy food recipes use ingredients that give you the massive essential nutrients you need, with the least number of calories.

That’s food that will keep you healthy and help you lose weight. But there's more to it than that...

The most healthy food recipes are also the most affordable. Think about it, if a food is really healthy but very expensive how likely are you to buy it all the time.

So a food must deliver massive essential nutrients needed for optimal health, but still be low in cost so you can eat it on a regular basis.

The most healthy food recipes use fresh whole foods with all their rich natural nutrients intact. They’re not processed, nor do they contain synthetic, artificial or irradiated ingredients. And whenever possible, they’re organically grown.

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The most healthy food recipes use everyday foods. These include the fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, lean meats, fish, olive oil, herbs and spices that people can include in their everyday meals.

The most healthy food recipes use food that is readily available. Because no matter how nutritious they are, if you can’t find them, what good are they? They have to be foods that the majority of people can easily find in their local market.

The most healthy food recipes taste great. If a food is super good for you but taste like an old shoe, whose going to eat it? It’s got to taste good and make you want to eat it.

Top 10 healthiest foods. Make your healthy food recipes healthier.

1. Sweet Potatoes. A nutritional All-Star; one of the best vegetables you can eat. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Bake and then mix in some unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple for extra moisture and sweetness.

2. Grape Tomatoes. They're sweeter, they’re firmer and they taste like tomatoes (finally some flavor) and their bite-size shape makes them perfect for snacking, dipping, or salads. They're packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, and you also get some fiber, some phytochemicals.

3. Fat-Free or 1 % Milk. You can’t make a better choice for a source of calcium, vitamins, and protein. You get little or no artery-clogging fat or cholesterol, so your heart will love that. The same goes for low-fat yogurt, but check the sugar content first (got to cut back on sugar as much as you can.) Soymilk can be just as nutritious but check the label first to see nutritional content. If it’s fortified with nutrients, go for it.

4. Broccoli. It’s loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid. Just steam it briefly and eat it crunchy for the maximum nutritional benefits. I just squeeze some lemon juice on and dive in.

5. Wild Salmon. Ask for it at your grocers, the omega-3 fats in fatty fish like salmon can help reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks. Tuna is a good second choice.

6. Whole-grain breads & crackers. Buy natural and as fresh as possible, these foods are loaded with fiber and often fat-free. Read your labels to find the most nutritious brands and then stick with them.

7. Brown rice. I don’t care if it’s the “microwaveable” kind or the “cooks in 10 minutes” kind just make sure your rice is not the “enriched white rice” kind. White rice has the life sucked out of it. All the fiber, magnesium, vitamins E and B-6, copper, zinc, and phytochemicals that are in whole grain brown rice have been processed out. So stick with brown rice; your body needs nutritious healthy food, not over processed fat food.

8. Citrus Fruit. These foods are perfect for a snack or dessert just about anytime. You can never go wrong. Citrus is great tasting and rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber. Plus there are so many choices, keep it interesting and try them all; just look for organically grown and get them as fresh as possible.

9. Butternut Squash. Dice it, slice it, and cut it any way you want but just eat it. You’ll find a growing number of grocery stores are starting to sell pre-peeled and diced butternut squash that's ready to go into a recipe. So look for it next time you’re shopping; every half-cup has 5 grams of fiber and tons of vitamins A and C.

10. Spinach or kale. Get ready to get happy. These greens are jam packed with vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, lutein, and phytochemicals. When you think salads, think these powerhouse greens, they’ll make your salad that much more nutritious and healthy.

This is just a list of my “All Stars”, there are many other nutritious foods out there and you should try them all in healthy food recipes. Just because a food did not make my short list doesn't mean it’s not good for you and won’t help in your quest to get healthy and lose weight.

Just look for whole, natural, nutrient-rich food that’s organic, fresh as possible and you’ll never go wrong.

Smiles…Gigi

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