1. Tomatoes. Tomatoes can find their way effortlessly into most vegetarian as well as meat-based recipes. Toss them in to make a sauce, slice them fresh to liven up a salad, grill them and fill them with wild rice, nuts, vegetables, and cheese, or even a meaty sauce. Use them as a base for your pasta and pizza or other Italian cooking in a passata. There’s 1.26 mcg of chromium in a cup of tomatoes, so you’ll chalk up 3.6% of your DV.
2. Green Beans. Have yours simply blanched and tossed in a salad – try a Thai style salad with raw papaya, green beans, raw mango, and cherry tomatoes for a change. Or make a southern style green bean casserole with some cheese grated over. Or toss them in a pan with some garlic and butter or olive oil. You could also roast them in the oven with carrots and a Middle Eastern spice like Za’atar.
3. Potatoes. Nothing hits the spot quite like a potato! If you enjoy your side of mash with your protein at mealtimes, you’ll do well with the chromium it contains too. A cup-sized serving of mashed potatoes contains 3 mcg of the nutrient, which is the equivalent of 8.6% DV. You can also fashion that mashed potato into croquettes or make it more exciting by stirring through some herbs, cheese, or even chives.
4. Broccoli. Broccoli is a really good source of chromium and packs in 11 mcg per half cup. That’s about 31.4% DV in a small serving. Make it the mainstay of your meal and you could get twice that amount in a cup. It is a quick-cooking vegetable that takes almost no effort to prepare. Simply break off the florets and steam them before adding them to a salad. Or roast them off with some seasoning and oil in the oven. You might also enjoy a warming bowl of broccoli soup, with some cheese grated in for extra savoriness. Even Asian recipes like wok-tossed vegetables or meats take well to the addition of broccoli. Another way to use broccoli is to swap out cauliflower in some recipes with this greener cousin.
5. Oats. Oats are fairly familiar ground for most people, but if you haven’t tried making them before, start small by making a quick and easy porridge. Add your favorite fruit or berries and maybe some nuts and seeds for a healthy and delicious breakfast. You can also experiment with homemade granola bars or oat and raisin cookies. Add some oats to your breads when you bake. Or swap out regular or panko breadcrumbs with some oats for a twist on your crumb-fried chicken. You can even sneak some oats into your lamb or beef burgers or meatball recipes.
6. Barley contains 8.16 mcg of chromium in 1/3 of a cup. That translates to around 23.3% DV per serving. The whole grain can add some delicious bite to a salad. Or try making a filling soup with beans and barley, meat and barley, or mushrooms and barley. It also lends itself well to being turned into a risotto – simply pair it with your favorite flavors and swap out the arborio rice for barley. You’ll just need to play around with the amount of stock or liquid you use.
7. Grape Juice And Wine. The ancient Romans were on the right track with their intake of grapes and red wine. Each cup of grape juice contains 8 mcg of chromium, which offers 22.9% DV of the nutrient. Enjoy your grape juice plain or add it to a blend of juices. You could also freeze it in hot weather to make a granita or an ice slush drink.
8. Beef. Beef is another food that has some chromium. A 3 ounce serving of beef cubes contains 2 mcg of chromium, which amounts to 5.7% DV. Simply add your beef to a stew or casserole or slow cook with an assortment of vegetables and herbs and spices for an easy midweek meal. You could brush a marinade and grill the cubes, experimenting with exotic spice rubs or sauces for new versions of your favorite meat!
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