129 foods that can serve as the basis of your Healthiest Way of Eating. Links to the articles about these foods can be found below.

Of course, there are many other nutritious foods other than those that we have included on our list that we feel are wonderful, health-promoting foods; if there are other whole foods - such as fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, whole grains, etc - that you like, by all means enjoy them. Just because a food is not on our list doesn't mean that we don't think that it can be included in a diet geared towards the Healthiest Way of Eating as long as it is a whole, natural, nutrient-rich food.

To find out why some of your favorite nutritious foods are not included in our list, read The Criteria Used to Select the World's Healthiest Foods.

Vegetables

Asparagus

Avocados

Beets

Bell peppers

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Collard greens

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Fennel

Garlic

Green beans

Green peas

Kale

Leeks

Mushrooms, crimini

Mushrooms, shiitake

Mustard greens

Olives

Onions

Potatoes

Romaine lettuce

Sea vegetables

Spinach

Squash, summer

Squash, winter

Sweet potatoes

Swiss chard

Tomatoes

Turnip greens

Yams

Seafood

Cod

Halibut

Salmon

Scallops

Shrimp

Tuna

Fruits

Apples

Apricots

Bananas

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cranberries

Figs

Grapefruit

Grapes

Kiwifruit

Lemon/Limes

Oranges

Papaya

Pears

Pineapple

Plums

Prunes

Raisins

Raspberries

Strawberries

Watermelon

Low-Fat Dairy

Cheese, low-fat

Eggs

Milk, 2%, cow's

Milk, goat

Yogurt

Beans & Legumes

Black beans

Dried peas

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Kidney beans

Lentils

Lima beans

Miso

Navy beans

Pinto beans

Soybeans

Tempeh

Tofu

Poultry & Lean Meats

Beef, lean organic

Calf's liver

Chicken

Lamb

Turkey

Venison

Nuts & Seeds

Almonds

Cashews

Flaxseeds

Olive oil, extra virgin

Peanuts

Pumpkin seeds

Sesame seeds

Sunflower seeds

Walnuts

Grains

Barley

Brown rice

Buckwheat

Corn

Millet

Oats

Quinoa

Rye

Spelt

Whole wheat

Spices & Herbs

Basil

Black pepper

Cayenne pepper

Chili pepper, dried

Cilantro/Coriander seeds

Cinnamon, ground

Cloves

Cumin seeds

Dill

Ginger

Mustard seeds

Oregano

Parsley

Peppermint

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Turmeric

Natural Sweeteners

Blackstrap molasses

Cane juice

Honey

Maple syrup

Other

Green tea

Soy sauce (tamari)

Water

Criteria for The World's Healthiest Foods

Among the thousands of different foods our world provides, the majority contain at least several of the nutrients our bodies need but to be included as one of the World's Healthiest Foods they had to meet the criteria listed below.

The criteria we used will also help you understand why some of your favorite (and also nutritious) foods may not be included on our list. For example, Readers have asked why pomegranate, a very nutritious food, is not included on our website. While pomegranates taste great and are rich in vitamins and flavonoid phytonutrients, they are still rather expensive which makes them not as widely available to many people.

1. The World's Healthiest Foods are the Most Nutrient Dense

The World's Healthiest Foods have been selected because they are among the richest sources of many of the essential nutrients needed for optimal health. We used a concept called nutrient density to determine which foods have the highest nutritional value.

Nutrient density is a measure of the amount of nutrients a food contains in comparison to the number of calories. A food is more nutrient dense when the level of nutrients is high in relationship to the number of calories the food contains. By eating the World's Healthiest Foods, you'll get all the essential nutrients that you need for excellent health, including vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, fiber and more for the least number of calories. Read more about Our Food and Recipe Rating System.

2. The World's Healthiest Foods are Whole Foods

The World's Healthiest Foods are also 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, The Healthier Way of Eating recommends purchasing "Organically Grown" foods, since they not only promote your health, but also the health of our planet.

3. The World's Healthiest Foods are Familiar Foods

The World's Healthiest Foods are common "everyday" foods. These include the fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, lean meats, fish, olive oil, herbs and spices that are familiar to most people.

4. The World's Healthiest Foods are Readily Available

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 people can easily find at their local market.

5. The World's Healthiest Foods are Affordable

We have selected foods that are not only familiar and available, but also affordable, especially if you purchase them locally and in season. This is also the time when they are the freshest and of the best quality.

6. The World's Healthiest Foods Taste Good

The World's Healthiest Foods are also some of the world's best tasting foods. We have created recipes using the World's Healthiest Foods that do not overpower, but enhance, the unique flavor of each food. Each recipe provides a flavor adventure so you can discover new ways to experience and enjoy the great natural tastes of these foods.

129这里列出了可供你的健康饮食菜单所选择的129种基本食物。关于这些食物的相关文章可在页面下部找到。

当然，除了我们所列举的这些很棒的对健康有益食物还有其他不同的可食用品种我们没有列出。如果你有自己喜欢的水果，蔬菜，坚果/干果，那么请继续享受这些美食吧。我们不认为没有在我们列表中出现的一些食物不适合健康饮食的选择。当然，只要只要这些食物是没有深加工的，天然的，并且富营养的。

如果想要找出为什么你自己喜欢的一些食物没有入选我们的列表，请查阅文章“入选世界上最健康食物列表的参照标准”。

蔬菜类：

芦笋，龙须菜

鳄梨，牛油果。

甜菜根

甜椒，柿子椒。

花椰菜

球芽甘蓝

洋白菜，卷心菜。

胡萝卜

菜花

西芹

绿甘蓝

黄瓜

茄子

茴香

大蒜

四季豆，扁豆。

豌豆

羽衣甘蓝

大葱

榛蘑

香菇（椎茸）

芥菜

橄榄

洋葱，葱头。

土豆

罗曼生菜

海产菜类

菠菜

夏季南瓜

冬季南瓜

白薯，红薯，甘薯。

瑞士恭菜

西红柿，番茄。

芜菁

红壤甘薯

海产品：

鳕鱼

大比目鱼

三文鱼

带子，干贝。

龙虾

金枪鱼

水果类：

苹果

杏

香蕉

蓝莓

哈密瓜

蔓越橘

无花果

葡萄柚

葡萄

奇异果，猕猴桃。

柠檬

桔子

木瓜

梨

菠萝

李子

梅干

葡萄干

覆盆子，树莓。

草莓

西瓜。

低脂乳品：

低脂奶酪

鸡蛋

2%脂肪含量牛奶

羊奶

酸奶

豆类和荚果

黑豆

干豌豆

鸡豆

芸豆

小扁豆（形状是扁的）

菜豆

豆酱

海军豆（白豆）

花豆

大豆

印尼霉豆

豆腐

禽肉和瘦肉：

牛肉及低脂器官。

小牛肝

鸡肉

羔羊肉

火鸡

鹿肉

坚果和干果

杏仁

腰果

亚麻仁子

初榨橄榄油

花生

南瓜子

芝麻

葵花籽

胡桃

谷物类：

大麦

糙米

荞麦

玉米

小米

燕麦

藜麦

黑麦

斯佩耳特小麦

全麦食物

香料和药草：

罗勒

黑胡椒

辣椒面

干红辣椒

胡荽子

肉桂

丁香

小茴香子

莳萝

姜

芥末子

奥里根香叶，牛至。

香菜

薄荷

迷迭香

鼠尾草

百里香

姜黄粉

天然甜味剂

粗炼糖蜜

甘蔗汁

蜜

枫糖浆

其他：

绿茶

天然酱油

水

世界上最健康的百种食物评判标准

世界上为数众多的食物中，绝大部分都含有我们身体构成所需要的营养成分，但是可以入选世界上最健康食物名单还需要具备下列要素：

这些我们采用的入选要素也有助于帮助你搞清为什么你所喜爱的食物不在这个名单中。比如，很多读者都问到为什么石榴这种很常见的食物没有入选我们网站的最健康食物名单呢？尽管石榴含有大量的维生素和起到抗氧化作用的酮类，但是它的价格却不是适合普通大众接受的。

1.世界上最健康的食物需要是极富营养的。

入选世界上最健康的食物名单的食物要具备保证人体健康所需的大量营养物质。

我们用一个叫做营养物浓度的概念来衡量最具营养价值的食物。

营养物浓度是食物中所含营养物的量与卡路里的比值。食物中所含营养物的量和卡路里的比值越高证明该事物的所含营养物属性越好。使用世界上最健康食物名单中的食物你就可以以最低的卡路里摄入量来满足身体健康所必需的各种维生素，矿物质，抗氧化物，基本脂肪酸和纤维等营养物的摄入。继续阅读我们关于食物和烹饪的评分系统是如何运作的。

2.世界上最健康的食物是天然食物。

世界上最健康的食物中的营养成分完全来自食物中天然的部分。这些食物都是没有深加工过或者含有人造的，合成的或辐射成分。何时何地，如果可能的话都请食用有机食物，这不单是对我们的健康有利，同时也对我们地球的健康有利。（指生产化肥会带来环保危机。）

3.世界上最健康的食物是普通的食物。

世界上最健康的食物是很日常的食物。我们的名单里包括了大部分人都很容易买到的蔬菜，各种谷物，坚果，干果，瘦肉，鱼类，橄榄油，药草和香料。

4.世界上最健康的食物是容易买到的食物。

尽管还有很多很有营养的食物，但是它们中的很多种并不是在世界各地都容易买到的。世界上最健康的食物是世界各地的大多数人们都能容易买到的。

5.世界上最健康的食物是买得起的食物。

我们选取的食物不单是常见和易于购买的，它们还都是买得起的食物。特别是在当地应季的时候购买这些食物。应季的食物也是最鲜而且品质最好的。

6.世界上最健康的食物口感要好。

世界上最健康的食物也可以说是世界上口感最好的食物。我们还肯据算选食物推荐了烹饪方法，并且这些方法都不是过度加工破坏口感的方式，而是加强了这些食物本身所独有的风味的选择。每一种烹饪方式都提供了一种独特的味觉体验，所以接下来你可以开始自己全新的天然美味体验之旅了！