Mistake #1: Produce overload
Sure, making one big grocery run at the start of the week seems like a no-fail way to get your five a day. But the vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables begin to diminish the moment they're harvested, meaning the longer you store produce, the fewer nutrients it will contain. After about a week in the fridge, for example, spinach retains just half of its folate and around 60 percent of its lutein (an antioxidant associated with healthy eyes). Broccoli loses about 62 percent of its flavonoids (antioxidant compounds that help ward off cancer and heart disease) within 10 days.
Solution: Buy smaller batches at least twice a week. If you can't shop every few days, go froze. These fruits and veggies are harvested at their peak and are flash-frozen immediately. Because the produce isn't exposed to oxygen, the nutrients stay stable for a year, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis. Just be sure to avoid frozen products packed in sauces or syrups. These can mean extra calories from fat or sugar, and may be high in sodium as well.
Mistake #2: You're stashing foods in see-through containers
Milk is rich in the B vitamin riboflavin, but when exposed to light, a chemical reaction is kicked off that reduces the vitamin's potency, according to researchers from Ghent University in Belgium. Other nutrients, such as amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and vitamins A, C, D, and E, are also affected. And because lowfat and nonfat milk varieties are thinner than whole milk, light can penetrate them more easily. This process, known as photooxidation, can change the flavor of the milk and create disease-causing free radicals. Since grain products (especially whole grains) are also high in riboflavin, they too are susceptible to this breakdown of nutrients and production of free radicals.
Solution: If you're still buying your milk in clear plastic jugs, consider switching to cardboard cartons. And avoid storing dry goods like pasta, rice, and cereals in clear containers on your countertop. Instead, keep them in their original boxes or in opaque containers and stash them in your kitchen cabinets, where they'll be shielded from light.
Mistake #3: You're too quick to cook your garlic
Legend has it that these pungent little bulbs can ward off vampires, but science shows that if you cook them correctly, they may have the power to fight off an even more frightening villain: cancer. But timing is everything.
Solution: Chop, slice, or crush your cloves, then set them aside for at least 10 minutes before sautéing. Breaking up garlic triggers an enzymatic reaction that releases a healthy compound called allyl sulfur; waiting to cook garlic allows enough time for the full amount of the compound to form.
Mistake #4: The only time you eat avocados is in guacamole
Adding this green fruit to salads and sandwiches is an easy way to raise your nutritional bar. Avocados are exceptionally rich in folate, potassium, vitamin E, and fiber. It's true that they're also high in fat, but it's the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind. And half an avocado has just 153 calories.
Solution: One novel way to work avocadoes into your diet is to use them as a fat substitute in baking. Researchers at Hunter College in New York City replaced half of the butter in an oatmeal cookie recipe with puréed avocado. Not only did this swap cut the total fat count by 35 percent (avocados have fewer fat grams per tablespoon than butter or oil), it also made the resulting treats softer, chewier, and less likely to crumble than cookies made according to the original recipe.
Mistake #5: You skimp on seasonings
Herbs and spices not only enhance the flavor of your cooking without adding fat or sodium, many of these fragrant ingredients also protect you from food poisoning. After testing 20 common seasonings against five strains of bacteria (including E. coli, staphylococcus, and salmonella), researchers at the University of Hong Kong found that the higher the antioxidant value of the spice, the greater its ability to inhibit bacterial activity. Cloves, cinnamon sticks, and oregano were the most effective at fighting off these food-borne pathogens. A separate study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, and bay leaves are also antioxidant-rich.
Solution: You can't ignore standard food safety practices, but adding half a teaspoon of herbs or spices to salads, vegetables, and meats can give you extra peace of mind and boost your intake of disease-fighting antioxidants.
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