Superfoods like goji berries and raw milk appear to be increasing in popularity. These nutritious foods may offer powerful nutrition that may protect against disease.
But to stay healthy, the diet must include all food groups rather than solely relying on superfoods as food groups. Although superfoods add flavor and nutrition to meals and snacks, their use must not become an exclusive means for weight management.
Fruits
Superfoods tend to be plant-based foods, though fish and dairy items have also been given this distinction. Although superfood isn’t a scientifically recognized category, such foods tend to be nutritionally dense with plenty of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds.
Exotic fruits like acai, noni, dragon fruit and rambutan often appear on superfood lists. While exotic varieties such as these might contain unique nutrients – for instance the anti-cancer compound ellagic acid found in pomegranates or avocados’ soluble fiber content – more affordable everyday fruits such as blueberries, strawberries and raspberries also can provide similar health benefits.
Leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables and fermented foods were frequently featured as superfoods. Combine some of them in a bowl for an energy-packed salad complete with crunchy nuts or seeds for extra crunch.
Vegetables
Vegetables are nutritional powerhouses when eaten raw. Packed full of essential vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber, vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants that protect cells against damage.
Vegetables most frequently recognized as superfoods tend to be packed with vitamin C and folate (vitamin A). Furthermore, these vegetables boast fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fats; examples include bok choy, spinach, kale and chili peppers which all offer abundant amounts of Vitamin A while also being excellent sources of potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Diets rich in essential nutrients are considered superfoods. Consuming a range of these nutritious foods is an easy way to lower your risk for chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, while adding some delicious superfoods will make eating well even more delicious! For more information, view our Food Group Gallery.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamin A and C as well as fiber, B vitamins, potassium and magnesium. Plus they boast antioxidants – particularly those found in purple-fleshed varieties which fight oxidative damage to cells and could potentially lower cancer risks!
Root vegetables offer many healthful advantages for heart-healthy diets, including being low in fat and sodium content and gluten-free as well as providing both soluble and insoluble fibre sources.
Sweet potatoes can add variety and sweetness to a wide range of meals: grain bowls with black beans, farro and spinach, barbecue chicken topped with shredded barbecue chicken and drizzled with maple syrup; as toppings on sandwiches; as a filling in baked burritos or as part of African cuisine in peanut stews or as a filling in baked burritos. A popular variety known as batata (bTTh) can also be found throughout Caribbean cooking as a staple ingredient – also used extensively when creating dulce de batata desserts traditional for Argentina Paraguayan and Uruguayans alike!
Smoothies
Smoothies are delicious drinks packed with nutrition that provide instantaneous sustenance for our bodies, such as fruits, vegetables, protein powder, seeds or herbs like turmeric or ginger. As they’re high in fiber they can also help promote satiety and decrease cravings to make managing weight and maintaining an effective diet easier.
Smoothies may provide essential vitamins and minerals, yet are lower in potassium than whole fruits. To maximize their benefits and to prevent sudden spikes in blood sugar levels caused by added sugars.
Many foods claim to be superfoods, yet no clear definition exists for this term and is frequently misused by food industry marketing campaigns. Foods containing bioactive compounds (such as antioxidants, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, lignans or essential micronutrients) that have been demonstrated as superfoods may fall under this classification; however this depends on factors like growing conditions, storage and the variety of food consumed [1].
