Curb Your Enthusiasm

Superfoods offer countless health benefits, but if you don’t go easy on the portions, you’ll pack on the pounds

 Nice going: You’ve sworn off processed and fast foods and are now a card-carrying member of the superfood fan club, stocking up on enough health boosting, illness-thwarting edibles to make a nutritionist weep sugar-free tears of joy. But even super healthy foods can have less-than-super downsides. We’re talking calories: Shovel quinoa down your craw or stuff your cheeks with walnuts and it’s your ass that’ll pay the price. So go the “rational” route instead by sticking to these guidelines.

Quinoa

CALORIES: 222 PER CUP

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT: 1/2 CUP

Unlike true grains, quinoa has more antioxidants, more protein (including all nine essential amino acids), fewer carbs, and sufficient levels of heart healthy mono- unsaturated fatty acids. But here’s the rub: Quinoa is also higher in calories than pasta or rice, so it can be easy to overindulge. Try mixing in plenty of antioxidant-rich vegetables, like kale and cauliflower, to maximize the portion size but minimize the calories.

Bean-Based Pasta

CALORIES: 200 PER 3/4 CUP

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT: 3/4 CUP

Pastas made with bean, lentil, or pea flour are gluten-free, and have more fiber and protein than regular, grain-based pasta. They’re also rich in nutrients like folate and thiamine—both essential for revving the metabo-lism and turning food into energy. Just be sure your pasta’s 100% grain- free, not the same old flour noodles gussied up with just a smidgen of bean—those alternatives are usually higher in calories, fat, and sodium.

Dark Chocolate

CALORIES: 170 PER 30 GRAM

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT: 30-60 GRAMS