It is often not required to go after out of the season food items to get a healthy and nutritious food. Enough studies have shown naturally grown seasonal food are more nutritious than the more expensive varieties. The hallmark of a nutritious and healthy food is the content than anything else. Listed below are some essential nutritious and healthy foods that do much good to our body:

Soybeans are well known for their protein content. What is less known is the other nutrient contents in a cup of beans like copper, manganese, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin vitamin B2 and Vitamin K all more than the daily requirements. Its calorie content is high. It makes it to the list of healthy protein foods.

Mushrooms are nutrient beyond the toppings in omelet and pizza. It contains copper, selenium, potassium, zinc, manganese, phosphorous, thiamine, vitamin B1, choline, folate. Like most vegetables, they should not be overcooked.

Lentils are another remarkable food. It has amazing nutrients and contains more than the recommended iron requirement. Other nutrients are copper, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, manganese, fiber, folate, Vitamin B6, thiamine, Vitamin B1, and all these in just one cup of cooked lentils. Lentils are another healthy protein food.

Kale lives up to the hype. The leaves have abundant nutrients like Vitamin. A, C and K. Besides copper, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, manganese and iron. A low oxalate content, a molecule naturally found both in the plant and humans bound to calcium and iron.

Tomatoes by the color itself declare its value. The color lycopene is a pigment making phytochemical. Besides Vitamin. A, C and K, folic acid, beta-carotene, lutein, Biotin and minerals like potassium and copper are present. Biotin enhances metabolism.

Green Peas: Another one of the healthy protein foods, one cup of cooked peas has high contents of manganese, copper, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, thiamine, Vitamin B1, fiber, Vitamin C, folate Vitamin B, and choline certainly punching much above its weight.

Dark chocolate another very blessed food. It has an amazing array of antioxidants. It is found to have a beneficial effect on blood flow, lower blood pressure improved brain function and lower oxidized LDL. It is endowed with fiber, magnesium, manganese, copper, and iron. Higher the cocoa content the better is it. 85% is the highest cocoa content.