5 Simple Food Swaps To Save Your Life

Swapping popular fruit and vegetables for their less common counterparts can greatly improve the healthiness of diets. Even if you already maintain a healthy diet, there are some simple switches that you can employ to greatly boost the average intake of phytonutrients–the substances in fruit and vegetables that help to protect the body from conditions such as heart disease and cancer. According to findings presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference in California, the data highlights the importance of “not only the quantity but also the significant impact the quality and variety of the fruits and vegetables you eat can have on your health.”

The idea is that by swapping some of your staples, you increase the variety of crucial nutrients required for maximum health and longevity. Since variety is so important, I’d suggest not going for a 100 percent replacement–but as you can according to availability, locality and season. Here are the five “powerhouse” alternative foods the researchers suggest you get into your mix:

1. Sweet potatoes for carrots
One cup of cooked sweet potatoes provides 1,922 micrograms Retinol Activity Equivalents (mcg RAE) of beta carotene, double that of carrots, and 16 times that of broccoli. Sweet potatoes have four times the US Recommended Daily Allowance (USRDA) for beta-carotene when eaten with the skin on. Sweet potatoes are a welspring of vitamin E, and they are virtually fat-free, which makes them a superior Vitamin E source. (Most Vitamin E rich foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts and avocados, contain a hefty dose of fat.) Sweet potatoes provide many other essential nutrients including Vitamin B6, potassium and iron. They are virtually fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium. One cup (200 grams) of cooked sweet potatoes has 180 calories.

Recipes: Sweet Potato Fries!, Classic Sweet Potato Pie

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Read more: Diet & Nutrition, Eating for Health, Food

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Dave C.

2:32PM PDT on Jun 10, 2013

while I love the new ideas, the old ones aren't bad....however, I really dislike the idea of "save your life"....mortality is 100%, we will all die...how about "improve your quality and length of life", "improve your health", "lengthen your life".....saved sounds as if you are either about to die and aren't or like you never will die, but you will.....

June 10
send a green star

Dale O.

8:24AM PDT on Jul 31, 2012

Just love those sweet potatoes and the other foods mentioned, they are so very tasty and delightful!

July 31
send a green star

Shalvah L.

2:41AM PDT on May 7, 2012

Thank you for the information. But I have no idea what Kale or Watercress are...
Sweet potato is the only food on this list that I can actually afford (kinda.)