Superfoods are foods bursting with more nutrients than others. They generally have great healthy benefits to make you feel energized and healthy! Here are some great Superfoods and reasons why they can help you.
Sweet Potatoes: a nutrition superstar indeed! These tubers are loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Mash, bake, or boil, and top with cinnamon and a little brown sugar. Or, try baked sweet potato fries sprinkled with cumin and chili powder or a black bean, feta cheese, and sweet potato burrito.
Almonds: add a small amount of nuts to your daily routine. Studies show eating nuts several times per week helps lower cholesterol. Almonds are a good source of vitamin E, an important antioxidant. Almonds are also very satiating – which may help ward off the munchies! Add almonds to your favorite trail mix, cereal, or yogurt.
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Pre-Cut Greens: another nutrition superstar! Not only are pre-cut, pre-washed greens convenient, they are full of vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, folate, potassium, and fiber. Mix it up by trying different greens such as spring mix, spinach, broccoli rabe, or kale. Add greens several times weekly and don’t be shy on the quantity!
Blueberries: blueberries have been ranked as one of the top sources of disease-fighting antioxidants. They contain the phytochemical anthocyanin, which gives blueberries their dark blue color. This dark blue color protects not only the berry itself, but you too! It helps fight inflammation, protects your heart, and fights cancer. Blueberries are also a rich source of vitamin C, fiber, folate and are low in calories. Add fresh or frozen blueberries to your cereal, yogurt, pancakes, muffins, frozen yogurt, or smoothie.
Quinoa: this grain might sound exotic to you but it’s actually quite easy to find and inexpensive too! This South American grain is a whole grain that’s higher in protein than other grains (high quality protein too!) and is also a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It has a light fluffy texture with a slight crunch and nutty flavor, and is very versatile and quick cooking. Try quinoa in place of rice at dinner or substitute it in your favorite cold salad dish. |
