Foods You Are Probably Eating Wrong

There are a lot of techniques and tricks to get the most nutrition out of your healthy ingredients. So how can you get the most bang for your buck? Kristen Kirkpatrick M.S., R.D., L.D., and manager of Wellness Nutrition Services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and the Huffington Post have shared some secrets of how to get more from what you cook with! Who knew you were doing it wrong this whole time?!

Potatoes: Think you're getting the benefits of the potato vegetable when you consume French fries, mashed or baked potatoes from white potatoes? Think again! One study found that it was purple potatoes that gave the best benefits, like lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk for cancer. Further, a 2014 study found that purple potatoes surpassed their white counterparts when it came to high amounts of polyphenols and decreased effect on overall blood sugar response.

Tea: If you want high nutrient absorption with your high tea, then forget about doing as the Brits do it! Several studies have shown that adding milk to your tea may actually take away some of the cardiovascular benefits that tea provides. Going with green tea? Add a little juice instead to sweeten. The vitamin C in juice may help to increase the bioavailability of green tea's nutrients.

>> Recipe: Clean Green Citrus Tea

Carrots: As fall gears up, our love of soup increases as well. Next time you're making a batch of chicken noodle soup, resist the urge to cut up your carrots. One study found that cutting carrots increased surface size and allowed more nutrients to leach out. That means after washing and peeling, your carrots should hit the water in their whole form. Keep cooking (vs. raw) though. One study found that cooking carrots increased the bioavailability of carotenoids.

Garlic: Don't rush your garlic, CRUSH your garlic! Research indicates that crushing your garlic and allowing to sit for at least ten minutes released an enzyme called allicin that has been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by making platelets less sticky or more likely to flow freely through the cardiovascular system.

>> Read more: Household Hacks: Garlic

Salad Dressing: Fat-free dressing may seem like a good idea in theory, but when you look at what you give up, it's no match for the full-fat counterpart. Several studies have shown the benefits that fat has when dressing your greens, from keeping you fuller and more satisfied after consumption to getting more nutrient absolution from your salad (specifically from lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin).

What other foods have you been eating wrong? Click here to be taken to the original story on Huffington Post.