By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD 

It’s no secret that eating an unhealthy diet increases the risk of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In fact, one in every five deaths is linked to poor diet, according to a recent data analysis. 

Improving your diet is one of the most impactful ways to live longer and prevent disease. Eating more healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds is especially important. Focusing on adding these foods to your meals probably even makes more of an impact on preventing diseases than just limiting sugar, sodium, and fat. 

Here are some of the best foods to eat for disease prevention. 

Health-Promoting Foods 

Want to live longer? Pile these foods onto your plate! 

• Cruciferous veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, turnips, radishes, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi all belong to the cruciferous vegetable family. These veggies have sulfur-containing compounds that may exhibit anti-cancer effects. Enjoy cruciferous veggies in salads, roasted with olive oil and herbs, or turned into “noodles” and served in place of pasta. 

• Leafy greens: Leafy greens like kale, spinach, collards, arugula, and chard are rich in folate and beneficial pigments such as lutein. As a result, they may help slow cognitive decline and other disease risk factors associated with aging. Add leafy greens to scrambled eggs, smoothies, and soups. You can even blend them into batters for healthy muffins and waffles. 

• Legumes: The most well-known legumes are beans, peas, and lentils. These fiber-rich foods contain many micronutrients and compounds that may help prevent diseases, including certain cancers and heart disease. Enjoy beans in soups, creamy dips, tacos, grain bowls, salads, and more!  

• Extra virgin olive oil: A staple of one of the healthiest eating cultures in the world, olive oil is brimming with benefits. Using olive oil regularly in your diet is associated with longevity and may help prevent heart disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. Use olive oil for cooking and in salad dressings or marinades. 

• Whole grains: Several studies have found a connection between the consumption of whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and barley, and improved health. In particular, eating whole grains may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and colorectal cancer. To eat more of them, make grain bowls with veggies, a protein source, and a healthy sauce. 

• Nuts and seeds: The healthy unsaturated fats in nuts and seeds are considered extremely beneficial in preventing heart disease and high blood pressure, among other chronic health issues. Have a handful of nuts for a snack, use nuts butters in oatmeal and on whole grain breads, and add seeds to a salad or side dish. 

• Fatty fish: Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory effects and major benefits for heart health. Enjoy fish as a main course with roasted veggies, stuffed into fish tacos, made into patties, or served over salads. 

• Fermented foods: Fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso paste, kombucha, and sauerkraut. They have gained popularity in recent years for their possible benefits, thanks to compounds that have antioxidant and health-promoting properties. Eating more fermented foods may improve gut health and protect against diabetes and high blood pressure, among other benefits. 

Note from Healthy For Life Meals: Want to eat more of these disease-fighting foods? Check out our menus, then get started with one of our plans and enjoy freshly prepared meals that are loaded with health-promoting foods.