This low-fat lunch can help fight cancer

I love egg salad sandwiches, but don’t have them as often as I would like, as eggs are high in cholesterol and saturated fat  Still, I eat no meat and watch my fats, so I feel OK with an egg or two a day, especially if they are boiled or poached.  And eggs can be healthy, primarily because of their high content of vitamins B2 and B12, which has been shown in some studies to reduce the risk of breast cancer.  They also include selenium, an antioxidant.

This lunch added up to 231 calories and also included doses of vitamin A (red pepper and Spring mix), vitamin C (strawberries), and whole grains (bread), which can also reduce breast cancer risk.   To be really effective, you would need at least a half of a red pepper, 6-8 strawberries, and a hefty handful of spring mix.  (I took the photo midway through lunch, so I had already eaten half of it. Sorry, but it was good.)

BUT: Peppers, strawberries and lettuce are all on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen, a list of produce with high amounts of pesticides (numbers 3, 5, and 9 respectively), so go organic if you can afford it.   If your budget can’t handle the extra cost, still eat your fruits and veggies—the EWG says that the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is healthy enough to outweigh the risks of pesticides.  And wash them well.

Calorie Counts:

1 boiled egg: 78 calories

1 tablespoon reduced fat mayonnaise with olive oil: 40 calories

Organic spring mix:: 5 calories

Organic red pepper:  12 calories

Organic strawberries: 6 calories

Sara Lee 100 percent whole wheat bread with honey: 90 calories

TOTA CALORIES:  231