How to create an antioxidant-rich meal plan that your clients will love

Antioxidants play a large role in protecting against cancer and cardiovascular disease, which is why it’s important to create an antioxidant-rich meal plan for your clients. Here’s how you can help your clients achieve better health, fight disease and consume more nutritious foods through antioxidant-rich foods and subsequent meal plans.

When it comes to fighting disease and boosting health, plant foods always seem to come out on top. And for good reason! Science has shown that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains has a plethora of health benefits, including weight management, controlled blood sugar, and a reduced risk of chronic disease.

While these foods are teeming with vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients, they are also rich in antioxidants, which are important for boosting health and preventing cellular damage. So, how can you help your clients eat more colorful foods to reduce their risk of disease and improve their overall wellbeing?

Before we discuss how you can create an antioxidant-rich meal plan for your clients, let’s understand what antioxidants are and why they are important.

What are antioxidants?

By definition, antioxidants are substances that may prevent or delay damage to a cell, and protect them against free radicals [1].

While free radicals naturally occur in the body, you can also accelerate their production through certain lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and a poor diet. If you have a lack of antioxidants, free radicals can damage cells over time through oxidative stress and can lead to illness, signs of aging, diabetes, and other cognitive disorders. 

Since antioxidant substances help your body fight against free radicals, they reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammation, all of which have negative health consequences. 

Dietary sources of antioxidants to include in an antioxidant-rich meal plan

Antioxidants naturally occur in food and can be found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and other plant foods [2,3]. Here are some examples of foods that you can include in your client’s antioxidant-rich meal plan [4,5,6,7].

Tip: when creating meal plans, be sure to include antioxidant-rich foods that your clients already enjoy. This will make it easier for them to adhere to your nutrition plan!

Vitamin C:

• Red bell peppers
• Oranges
• Kiwi
• Broccoli
• Strawberries

Vitamin E:

• Wheat germ oil
• Sunflower seeds
• Almonds
• Safflower oil
• Hazelnuts

Carotenoids:

• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Mangoes
• Watermelon 
• Sweet potato/yam
• Tomatoes

Selenium:

• Brazil nuts
• Yellowfin tuna
• Halibut
• Sardines
• Enriched pasta 

Zinc:

• Oysters
• Crab
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chickpeas
• Cashews

Other sources of antioxidants include:

How to create an antioxidant-rich meal plan

Now that we’ve covered some dietary examples of antioxidants, here are some ideas for how you can include them in an antioxidant-rich meal plan so your clients can fight disease and boost health. 

Tip: let Nutrium do the work for you! Here’s how you can create custom meal plans and save time while doing so.

Breakfast

• Mixed berry smoothie with Greek yogurt and spinach
• Oatmeal with berries
• Scrambled eggs with turmeric
• Smoked salmon, avocado, and eggs on toast

Lunch

• Kale (or spinach) salad topped with berries, lentils, and nuts
• Sandwich filled with spinach, hummus, avocado, and tomato
• Roasted vegetables topped with lemon juice and spices 
• Chia pudding

Dinner

• Salmon with lemon juice and roasted broccoli
• Vegetable curry with shrimp
• Vegetarian chili
• Pumpkin soup and a side salad

Snacks

• Bell peppers and hummus 
• A piece of dark chocolate and a handful of nuts
• Greek yogurt and blueberries
• Apples and cinnamon
• Trail mix

Summary

Antioxidants play a large role in protecting against cancer and cardiovascular disease, which is why it’s important to ensure your client consumes a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods. By creating an easy to follow antioxidant-rich meal plan, you can help your clients boost their health and reduce their risk of chronic disease. 

We are always working toward bringing you the best nutrition content, so we welcome any suggestions or comments you might have! Feel free to write to us at info@nutrium.com.

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References

1. Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and Functional Foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 4(8), 118. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.70902
   
   
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Antioxidants: In depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth
   
   
3. Antioxidants. The Nutrition Source. (2021, March 3). Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/ 
   
   
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin C. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
   
   
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin E. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/ 
   
   
6. WebMD. (n.d.). Dietary carotenoids: How do they impact your health?WebMD. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-about-dietary-carotenoids#1 
   
   
7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - selenium. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/