The World's Healthiest Foods are health-promoting foods that can change your life.

How to Eat Healthier in 2018

Try our exciting new WHFoods Meal Plan.

The George Mateljan Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation with no commercial interests or
advertising. Our mission is to help you eat and cook the healthiest way for optimal health.
Why is the food of the week among the WHFoods?

Although nutrient-richness is the most important criteria for the selection of the World's Healthiest Foods, they also had to meet practical criteria as well; they also had to be easily accessible and taste good. If you can't easily purchase a food or don't enjoy eating it, you are not going to include it in your "Healthiest Way of Eating."

Therefore, the following criteria had to be fulfilled for a food to be included among our list of World's Healthiest Foods:

  • Be a nutrient-rich food. A World's Healthiest Foods needed to not only be rich in health-promoting nutrients but also be one of the richest sources of nutrients in its food group. The World's Healthiest Foods also have research-demonstrated health benefits, such as preventing chronic disease.
  • Be a whole food. The World's Healthiest Foods are whole foods complete with all their rich, natural endowment of nutrients. They have not been highly processed nor do they contain synthetic, artificial or irradiated ingredients. And whenever possible, they should be organically grown, since organically grown foods not only promote your health but also the health of our planet.
  • Be a familiar food. The World's Healthiest Foods are common "everyday" foods. These include the vegetables, fruits, fish/seafood, nuts/seeds, lean meats, legumes, whole grains, and herbs and spices that are familiar to most people.
  • Be a readily available food. Although there are many foods that are exceptionally nutritious, many of them are not readily available in different areas of the country. The World's Healthiest Foods are foods that the majority of people can easily find at their local market.
  • Be affordable. I selected foods that are not only familiar and available but also affordable, especially if you purchase them locally and in season. When foods are enjoyed in their peak season they are the freshest and of the best quality.
  • Taste good. If a food is healthy but doesn't taste good, its health benefits will not be enjoyed. Therefore, these foods had to be rich in flavor and have a pleasing taste. The vibrant taste of many healthy foods is one of the primary reasons they have become increasingly popular.

No matter how uniquely nutrient-rich a food might be, one food cannot fulfill all of your nutritional requirements much less your personal tastes. That's why we have selected100 foods to comprise our list of World's Healthiest Foods. A Healthiest Way of Eating comprised of a variety of the World's Healthiest Foods paves the road towards vibrant health and vitality.

Printer friendly version

Send this page to a friend...

rss


Newsletter SignUp

Your Email:

Find Out What Foods You Should Eat This Week

Also find out about the recipe, nutrient and hot topic of the week on our home page.

 

Everything you want to know about healthy eating and cooking from our new book.
2nd Edition
Order this Incredible 2nd Edition at the same low price of $39.95 and also get 2 FREE gifts valued at $51.95. Read more


Healthy Eating
Healthy Cooking
Nutrients from Food
Website Articles
Community
Privacy Policy and Visitor Agreement
References
For education only, consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problems.

We're Number 1
in the World!

35 million visitors per year.
The World's Healthiest Foods website is a leading source of information and expertise on the Healthiest Way of Eating and Cooking. It's one of the most visited websites on the internet when it comes to "Healthiest Foods" and "Healthiest Recipes" and comes up #1 on a Google search for these phrases.

Over 100 Quick &
Easy Recipes

Our Recipe Assistant will help you find the recipe that suits your personal needs. The majority of recipes we offer can be both prepared and cooked in 20 minutes or less from start to finish; a whole meal can be prepared in 30 minutes. A number of them can also be prepared ahead of time and enjoyed later.

World's Healthiest
Foods
is expanded

What's in our new book:
  • 180 more pages
  • Smart Menu
  • Nutrient-Rich Cooking
  • 300 New Recipes
  • New Nutrient Articles and Profiles
  • New Photos and Design
privacy policy and visitor agreement | who we are | site map | what's new
For education only, consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problems.
© 2001-2018 The George Mateljan Foundation, All Rights Reserved