^{by Nutrition Department, Northern Westchester Hospital}

Are you tired of being told about foods that you shouldn’t eat? If you are, you’ll be happy to see our alphabet of foods that you can say “yes” to. They’re all tasty and enjoyable, and on top of that, they all have health benefits. Foods you can feel good about!

ACORN SQUASH. It’s rich in fiber, potassium, lycopene, folate and Vitamins A and C.

ALMONDS. Go nuts with almonds, low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fat. Try them as a snack rather than one that’s high in trans fats, remembering that calories can add up. There are 90 calories in a dozen almonds. Almonds are also good sources of zinc, magnesium and riboflavin.

BANANAS. For your heart health, have a banana. Makes a great portable snack. High in potassium, it lowers blood pressure, reduces risk of kidney stones and bone loss.

BLUEBERRIES. One of the best antioxidants and good source of Vitamin K. All berries are good choices. If fresh berries are out of season, consider using frozen berries blended into a smoothie.

BROWN RICE. Replace all or part of your white rice with brown rice to avoid too much processed foods. Brown rice includes the bran and germ of the natural grain that gets lost in processing along with the phosphorus and potassium.

C is for:

CANOLA OIL. Replacing butter, lard, and other saturated fats with oils that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can pay dividends to your heart. Other choices in this category are safflower and soybean. Then there’s olive oil, which has earned heart-healthy labeling from the FDA, and peanut oil which offers another flavor choice.

CHICKEN BREAST, convenient to buy skinless and boneless, is a good way to get protein without a lot of fat or calories if you broil, bake or grill them.

K is for:

KALE. It’s a Vitamin A powerhouse. If this dark green leafy vegetable has too strong a flavor for you, any of its companions are also good choices – collards, spinach and the dark salad greens.

M is for:

MACKEREL. Less familiar than other cold-water fish, mackerel is worth adding to your seafood repertoire because it contains omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, and selenium, which has antioxidant benefits.

MILK, low fat or nonfat for protein, of course, and calcium for bone health. It’s also a great way to get Vitamin D, which you need in tandem with calcium to build bone strength and help prevent osteoporosis.

O is for:

ORANGES. We all know this is a super way to get your Vitamin C. Eating an orange, versus drinking juice gives you a lot more fiber. And it lasts longer.

P is for:

POPCORN. Air-popped popcorn makes a filling whole grain snack. A cup of plain air-popped popcorn has just 30 calories.

Q is for:

QUINOA, one of the many whole grains waiting for us to try it. Others are bulgur, kasha and millet. Find them in your supermarket or health food stores in packages with cooking directions included.

S is for:

SALMON. Another fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. Wild salmon is the better choice over farm-raised and the benefit of canned salmon is its high calcium content in the edible bones. You’ll find most all canned salmon is wild.

SWEET POTATOES. They have more beta-carotene, Vitamin C, folate, calcium and manganese than white potatoes. One baked sweet potato with skin has 25,000 IU of beta-carotene.

T is for:

TOFU. If you want to go meatless, try tofu for a change. It provides protein and calcium if it’s been prepared with calcium carbonate. Look for other soy products as well, such as veggie burgers for meat substitutes.

W is for:

WATERMELON. A cool low calorie snack for summer time. Only 45 calories in a whole cup. And it’s a good source of Vitamins C & A and lycopene.

WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD. New dietary guidelines encourage three one-ounce slices of whole-grain breads (or equivalent) daily. Check the label though, to be sure the first ingredient is a whole grain. Don’t be misled by terms such as “100 percent wheat”, “multi-grain”, “cracked-wheat”, and so forth. Wheat only means wheat product, not whole wheat.

Y is for:

YOGURT. This is a delicious way to get a dairy portion into your daily intake. Besides calcium you get protein, magnesium and a variety of Vitamins including B12. Choose nonfat or low-fat yogurt which come in many different flavors, rather than fruit-on-the-bottom, which is high in sugar. Add your own fresh fruit to plain or vanilla yogurt.