2. Supercharged Mushrooms Mushrooms are the only plant-based food that naturally contains vitamin D. But what is now sending their “sunshine vitamin” quotient into the stratosphere is a new and unique kind of processing: Once harvested, Sun-Bella mushrooms are exposed to ultraviolet light. The net result is that a three-ounce serving of this new but widely available brand supplies 100 percent of your daily value of D. Why does this matter? Preliminary evidence from the University of Minnesota suggests that if you don’t have enough D in your bloodstream, it may be more difficult to lose weight, especially fat. Plus, insufficient levels of D have been linked with obesity and abdominal fat, notes Dave Grotto, RD, author of 101 Optimal Life Foods.
Use it: Swap chopped mushrooms for ground beef on taco night or use two grilled Portabella mushrooms as a “bun” for a turkey burger. Better yet, make it your burger substitute. Trading a 4-ounce Portabella mushroom for 3 ounces of 93 percent lean ground turkey once a week, without making any other changes, would save 6,136 calories and 104 grams of artery clogging fat per year. “Portabellas have the highest level of ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant unique to fungi that provides protection against the free radical damage that can contribute to aging and heart disease,” says Grotto. For a vitamin D boost, look for Sun-Bella, one brand that pre-treats mushrooms to a healthy dose of the sun’s rays.
3. Fiber-Packed Raspberries Raspberries clock in with about 50 percent higher antioxidant activity than strawberries; preliminary evidence suggests that one of the antioxidants, known as raspberry ketone, could be a belly buster. A study on animals at Ehime University School of Medicine, in Japan, found that raspberry ketones, which are responsible for the berries’ aroma, prevented an increase in overall body and visceral fat when the animals were overfed. Bonus: “Anthocyanins, another antioxidant in raspberries, are believed to reduce blood sugar after starchy meals, which may help control appetite,” Grotto says. Additionally, raspberries are high in fiber: They contain eight grams per cup. Previous research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that for every gram of fiber we eat, we eliminate approximately seven calories.
