Six Stealth Health Foods: This Week on AOL Health

Most of us have our tried-and-true favorites when it comes to keeping our health and waistline in check. Whether you munch on mid-morning carrots, go heavy on the greens at lunch, or stick to salmon at dinner, repetition can get old -- fast. Plus, you can actually doing your body a disservice by sticking to the usual suspects and forgoing alternatives that can lower blood pressure and fight belly fat.

For example, seaweed -- a popular health food in Japan -- has yet to secure a place on America's plate. It's loaded with healthful nutrients, including calcium and potassium, which are essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure. If adding a side of seaweed to your lunch makes your stomach roll, try buying sheets of dried seaweed at Asian groceries and grind them into a powder. Use this powder as a healthy salt substitute -- it's great for seasoning salads and soups.

Tired of seeing fish on your dinner plate night after night? Switch it up with another under-the-sea favorite -- scallops. While they're not the healthiest fare to order out at a restaurant (since they're usually slathered in a creamy sauce or fried), seared scallops are a protein-packed dream. A source of both magnesium and potassium, one three-ounce servings dishes out 20 grams of protein and only 95 calories. Pair them with green veggies or place them on a bed of brown rice and you've got a perfectly healthy dinner change-up.

For more of these six stealth health foods that you're probably not eating -- but should be -- check out Aol Health.