10 healthiest foods we added to our diets in 2011

Julie Daniluk

We've covered a huge variety of healthy foods over this year, thanks to nutritionist Julie Daniluk, a regular contributor to Chatelaine.com. She's brought us the best of the fresh produce and healthy grains that are available around the year, with delicious recipes to try them all with. It's hard to narrow it down, but here are ten foods we started eating last year. Click the links and grab all of Julie's health-promoting recipes.

1. Clementines are perfect this time of year, and they're also great for you — they're low in calories and give you a hit of immune-boosting vitamin C during cold and flu season. Pick up a box while they're available.

2. An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away, thanks to this inexpensive fruit's fibre and antioxidants. This one proves that a fruit doesn't have to be exotic to be a superfood.

3. Kale got a lot of attention this year — one blog even called it the new beef. That's because it's a great source of iron, with more per calorie than beef, as well as vitamins A and K

4. Apple cider vinegar tastes great in homemade salad dressings, and it also helps to keep your liver healthy. As a bonus, you can even use it as a household cleaner!

5. Cherries have anti-inflammatory compounds that can help your joints stay healthy and prevent gout, as well as keep your eyesight strong.

6. Fibre-rich quinoa really hit the mainstream this year. It's a complete protein — meaning it's got all the essential amino acids -- and it's a great lower-glycemic substitute for other grains such as white rice.

7. Lentils are another low-calorie way to up the protein content of your meals, and they also provide fibre and iron. One study showed that they can even help you shed belly fat more easily.

8. People took more notice of sea vegetables this year because of the radiation scare after the earthquake in Japan, but these iodine-rich superfoods have always been healthy. 

9. Garlic is a must in so many meals, so it's a bonus to learn that it's great for your immune system because of its antiviral and antifungal properties. Use it in soups this winter to give them a health boost.

10. Eggs have developed a bad reputation, but it's not a fair one — they're actually a great source of lecithin, high in antioxidants, and a source of vitamin D.