Some foods just aren't taken seriously. Consider celery, for example-forever the garnish, never the main meal. You might even downgrade it to bar fare, since the only stalks most guys eat are served alongside hot wings or immersed in a Bloody Mary.

All of which is a shame, really. That's because besides being a perfect vehicle for peanut butter, this vegetable contains bone-beneficial silicon and cancer-fighting phenolic acids. And that's not even what makes celery so good for you.

Eat This, Not That! has rounded up six of the most underappreciated and undereaten foods that can instantly improve your diet. Make a place for them on your plate, and you'll gain a whole new respect for the health benefits they bestow-from lowering blood pressure to fighting belly fat. And the best part? You'll discover just how delicious health food can be.

Celery

Per large stalk:

* 10 calories

* 0 g fat （0 g saturated）

* 51 mg sodium

* 1 g fiber

This water-loaded vegetable has a rep for being all crunch and no nutrition. But ditch that mindset: Celery contains stealth nutrients that heal.

Why it's healthy

"My patients who eat four sticks of celery a day have seen modest reductions in their blood pressure-about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic," says Mark Houston, M.D., director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital, in Nashville. It's possible that phytochemicals in celery called phthalides are responsible for this health boon, since these compounds relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase bloodflow, according to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. And beyond the benefits to your BP, celery also fills you up with almost no calories.

Seaweed

Per Tbsp, dried:

* 20 calories

* 1 g fat （0 g saturated）

* 73 mg sodium

* 4 g protein

While this algae is a popular health food in Japan, it rarely makes it into U.S. homes.

Why it's healthy

There are four classes of seaweeds-green, brown, red, and bluegreen-and they're all packedwith healthful nutrients. "Seaweeds are a great plant source of calcium," says nutritionist Alan Aragon, M.S. They're also loaded with potassium, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. "Low potassium and high sodium intake can cause high blood pressure," Bowden says. "Most people know to limit sodium, but another way to combat the problem is to take in more potassium." （Here's a cool hint: You can buy sheets of dried seaweed at Asian groceries, specialty health stores, or online at edenfoods.com. Use a coffee grinder to grind the sheets into a powder. Then use the powder as a healthy salt substitute that's great for seasoning salads and soups-certainly beats the heart-harmful salt in any of these 20 saltiest foods in America.）

Scallops

Per 1 ounce, steamed:

* 31 calories

* 0 g fat （0 g saturated）

* 74 mg sodium

* 6 g protein

* 111 mg Omega-3 fatty acids

Perhaps these mollusks are considered guilty by association, since they often appear in decadent restaurant meals that are overloaded with calories. （But then again, so does asparagus. ）

Why they're healthy

Scallops are more than 80 percent protein. "One 3-ounce serving provides 20 grams of protein and just 95 calories," says Bowden. They're also a good source of both magnesium and potassium. （Clams and oysters provide similar benefits.） Try them: It's a fast, easy way to prepare them.

Hemp Seeds

Per 10 grams:

* 57 calories

* 5 g fat （0.5 g saturated）

* 3 g protein

Cannabis classification aside, these seeds aren't for smoking. But they may provide medicinal benefits.

Why they're healthy

"Hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke," says Cassandra Forsythe, Ph.D., a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut. What's more, a 1-ounce serving of the seeds provides 11 grams of protein-but not the kind of incomplete protein found in most plant sources. Hemp seeds provide all of the essential amino acids, meaning the protein they contain is comparable to that found in meat, eggs, and dairy. Toss 2 tablespoons of the seeds into your oatmeal or stir-fry. Or add them to your post-workout shake for an extra dose of muscle-building protein.

Lentils

Per cup:

* 230 calories

* 1 g fat （0 g saturated）

* 16 g fiber

* 18 g protein

It's probably no surprise that these hearty legumes are good for you. But when was the last time you ate any?

Why they're healthy

Boiled lentils have about 16 grams of belly-filling fiber in every cup. Cooked lentils also contain 27 percent more folate per cup than cooked spinach does. And if you eat colored lentils- black, orange, red-there are compounds in the seed hulls that contain disease-fighting antioxidants, says Raymond Glahn, Ph.D., a research physiologist with Cornell University. Use them as a bed for chicken, fish, or beef-they make a great substitute for rice or pasta.

Dark Meat

Per chicken drumstick:

* 112 calories

* 6 g fat （2 g saturated）

* 14 g protein

Sure, dark meat has more fat than white meat does, but have you ever considered what the actual difference is? Once you do, Thanksgiving won't be the only time you "call the drumstick."

Why it's healthy

"The extra fat in dark turkey or chicken meat raises your levels of cholecystokinin （CCK）, a hormone that makes you feel fuller, longer," says Aragon. The benefit: You'll be less likely to overeat in the hours that follow your meal. What about your cholesterol? Only a third of the fat in a turkey drumstick is the saturated kind, according to the USDA food database. （The other two-thirds are hearthealthy unsaturated fats.） What's more, 86 percent of that saturated fat either has no impact on cholesterol, or raises HDL （good） cholesterol more than LDL （bad） cholesterol- a result that actually lowers heart-disease risk. （The kind of fat you should really be afraid of is trans-fatty acids. Avoid any items on our list of the trans-fattiest foods in America）. As for calories, an ounce of dark turkey meat has just 8 more calories than an ounce of white meat.

有些食物只是没有得到重视。比如，芹菜永远被认为是装饰品，而不是主食。你甚至可能十分小看它，因为大多数人只吃放在辣鸡翅边上，或者浸没在血玛丽酒里的芹菜茎。

确实，这些都很可惜。因为除了是花生酱的绝佳搭配外，这种蔬菜包含了有利于骨骼的硅元素和抗癌的酚酸，而且这些远不止芹菜能够带给你的好处。

吃这个，而不是那个！本篇文章收集了六种最不受重视且最不被人食用，但却能立即改善你饮食的食物。在你的盘子上为它们留一些位置吧，你会对它们给予你的健康益处--从降低血压到消除腹部脂肪中产生全新的想法。还有最棒的部分是，你会发现健康食物是多么美味。

芹菜

每大块芹菜茎中：

* 10卡路里

* 0克脂肪（0克饱和脂肪）

* 51毫克钠

* 1克纤维

这种充满水分的蔬菜是只能嘎吱嘎吱咀嚼而没有营养的代表。但请转变思想：芹菜富含具有治愈功能的神秘营养素。

为什么它是健康的

纳什维尔圣托马斯医院高血压研究所的主管马克休斯顿博士说到："那些一天吃四根芹菜的病人们的血压有了适度下降--大约6点心缩压和3点心缩压".根据《地球上150种最健康食物》的作者，营养学家约翰鲍登博士的说法，很可能芹菜里一种叫做苯酞的植物化学物质有助于健康，因为这些化合物放松了动脉壁中的肌肉组织，增加了血流量。芹菜除了对血压的益处外，还能够使你吃饱但几乎没有带来卡路里。

海藻

每汤匙干燥的海藻：

* 20卡路里

* 1克脂肪（0克饱和脂肪）

* 73毫克钠

* 4克蛋白质

虽然这种藻类在日本是大众化的健康食物，但它很少进入美国家庭中。

为什么它是健康的

海藻有四种分类--绿藻，褐藻，红藻和蓝绿藻，它们都充满了健康的营养物。营养学家艾伦阿拉贡硕士："海藻是钙质的重要植物来源。"它们也富含对于维持健康血压水平不可或缺的钾。"低钾高钠的摄入会导致高血压，"鲍登说道。"大多数人知道控制钠的摄入，但是另一种对付这一问题的方法就是吸收更多钾元素。" （这里是一条的有用提示：你能够在亚洲杂货铺，特别是健康商店或者在线的edenfoods.com中买到大片的海带干。）利用咖啡研磨机把一大片磨碎成粉末。然后把粉末当作一种健康的食盐替代品，对调味沙拉和汤都很好--这当然在美国家庭食用的任一20种最咸的食物中战胜了了有害心脏的食盐。）

扇贝

每一盎司蒸煮的扇贝：

* 31卡路里

* 0克脂肪（0克饱和脂肪）

* 74毫克钠

* 6克蛋白质

* 111毫克Ω-3脂肪酸

也许这些软体动物被认为是有罪的，因为它们经常出现在含有过多卡路里的堕落饭店餐食中。（但话又说回来，芦笋也是如此。）

为什么它们是健康的

扇贝中80%以上都是蛋白质。"一份3盎司的扇贝提供了20克蛋白质和仅仅95卡路里，"鲍登说道。它们也是镁和钾重要来源。（蛤和牡蛎也提供了相似的益处。）试试这个：准备它们又快又简单。

大麻籽

每10克中含有：

* 57卡路里

* 5克脂肪（0.5克饱和脂肪）

* 3克蛋白质

先把大麻的分类放一边，这些种籽不是用来吸食的。但它们可能提供药用好处。

为什么它们是健康的

"大麻籽富含Ω-3脂肪酸，它们能减少你患心脏病和中风的危险。"康涅狄格大学的营养研究员卡桑德拉弗西斯博士说道。更为重要的是，一份1盎司的种籽提供了11克蛋白质--但却不是能够在大多数植物来源中找到的那种不完全蛋白质。大麻籽提供了所有必需的氨基酸，这意味着它们含有的蛋白质能够与肉类、鸡蛋和奶制品中的蛋白质相媲美。扔两汤匙种籽到你的燕麦片或者炒食中，或者把它们加入到运动后饮料中，来摄取一份额外的肌肉建造蛋白质。

小扁豆

每杯中：

* 230卡路里

* 1克脂肪（0克饱和脂肪）

* 16克纤维

* 18克蛋白质

这些营养丰富的豆类对你有好处也许是不足为奇的。但是你上一次吃它们是什么时候？

为什么它们是健康的

没杯熟扁豆中含有大约16克腹部填充纤维。在每杯中，熟扁豆也比熟菠菜多含有27%的叶酸。康奈尔大学的研究生理学家雷蒙德格拉恩博士说，如果你吃有颜色的扁豆，如黑色、桔黄色或红色，在豆荚中的化合物富有抵抗疾病的抗氧化剂。把它们用作鸡肉、鱼肉或者牛肉的夹心，是大米和意大利面的很好替代物。

腿肉

每只鸡腿中：

* 112卡路里

* 6克脂肪（2克饱和脂肪）

* 14克蛋白质

当然，腿肉比胸肉中有更多的脂肪，但是你有没有考虑过它们之间的真正区别？一旦你做了，感恩节可能不会是你唯一一次吃腿肉的时候了。

为什么它是健康的

阿拉贡说："在火鸡或小鸡腿肉中的额外脂肪提高了你的胆囊收缩素水平，这是一种使你感觉更饱、持续时间更长的荷尔蒙。"它的好处是：你在饭后几小时内不太可能吃过量了。那么你的胆固醇又会怎样呢？根据美国农业部食物数据库的说法，火鸡腿中只有三分之一的脂肪是饱和型的。（另外三分之二是有益心脏的不饱和脂肪。）更为重要的是，这类饱和脂肪中86%要么对胆固醇没有影响，要么比起低密度脂蛋白（有害）来更加提高了高密度脂蛋白（有益）的含量，其结果事实上降低了心脏病的风险。（你应该真正担心的脂肪类型是反式脂肪酸。尽量避免在美国反式脂肪酸食物列表中的食品。）至于卡路里，一盎司火鸡腿肉只比一盎司胸肉多8卡路里。