You hear about superfoods everywhere now. There are countless articles, social media posts, and even restaurants are starting to include and advertise superfoods in their cooking. When I say "superfoods", I have a feeling that a lot of greens come to mind. You're probably thinking of kale, wheatgrass, sprouts, micro-greens, spirulina, and all those nutrient dense foods. Those foods are great, but they don't exactly taste amazing. Fueling your body with nutrient dense foods doesn't have to taste bad; here are 15 superfoods you should add to your diet that don't taste like grass.
Nutritional Yeast
Don't let the "yeast" in the title freak you out. Nutritional yeast is basically the same type of yeast used in bread baking, beer brewing, and all that good stuff. Nutritional yeast is a great source of B vitamins, and it's also a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids your body needs. Nutritional yeast is vegan, but it has a cheesy taste, which makes it a great seasoning for all you non-dairy eaters.
Blueberries
Blueberries are the most nutritious berry. They contain fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Manganese. Not only are they high in nutrients, but they are also super high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help reduce damage to your cells, AKA, you! To top it off, blueberries are super low in calories, meaning you're getting a lot of bang for you buck by eating these delicious little berries!
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are a great source of Omega-3 fats, protein, Iron, and Calcium. Omega-3's help to raise your good cholesterol, they are considered to be a healthy fat. Chia seeds are also a natural thickener. They make a great addition to smoothies, oatmeal, or even homemade jam.
Coconut
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Coconut oil, meat, and milk are high in healthy fats. Not only that, but coconut is actually anti-viral and anti-bacterial, so yes, putting coconut oil all over your body is totally safe. Coconut water doesn't contain the fat that the rest of the coconut has, but it does make a great natural electrolyte drink, perfect to replenish yourself after a good sweaty workout. It's easy to add coconut into your diet, you can trade the milk in your smoothies for coconut water, and you can even cook rice in coconut milk.
Lentils
Lentils are really overlooked in American cuisine, yes beans have a lot of similar benefits, but lentils have it all. Lentils are high in protein, fiber, folate, iron, and molybdenum. What the heck is Molybdenum? Molybdenum is a nutrient that helps break down toxins in your body. Lentils are super easy to prepare and are a healthy source of carbs and protein.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are packed with so many good nutrients, I'm not even going to name them all. These little seeds pack in 7 grams of protein per serving, plus they are a great source of Vitamin E, Magnesium, and fiber. Pumpkin seeds are a great addition to trail mix, breakfast parfaits, and they even add a nice crunch to salads.
Sweet Potatoes
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Sweet potatoes are much more nutrient dense than your typical white potato. Sweet potatoes are full of fiber, B vitamins, Iron, Calcium, and Vitamin A. Vitamin A is helpful for a number of body functions such as vision, immune support, and reproduction. Sweet potatoes come in multiple varieties; you can find them in orange, purple, and white. I am a bit of a sweet potato fanatic, but these seriously taste good with everything. Sometimes I'll even bring a cooked sweet potato to class with some almond butter. (Yeah, I get some looks, but it's worth it.)
Peanut Butter
Like most foods, it's all about moderation, but the fact that peanut butter is full of good stuff gives me some justification to dive spoon after spoon into the jar. We all know that peanut butter contains good fats and protein, but it's also rich in antioxidants. However, my favorite benefit of peanut butter is its ability to reduce stress. Peanut butter contains beta-sitosterol which can help combat high cortisol (stress) levels. Having a rough day? It's no wonder why you might be craving peanut butter.
Cacao
Cocoa is high in specific antioxidants called polyphenols. Polyphenols can help reduce inflammation, blood pressure, and can help increase blood flow. The catch is that most of our cocoa today is heated and processed to be added to mass produced chocolate bars. To combat this, try looking for dark chocolate brands that aren't highly processed, or try buying your own raw cocoa.
Cinnamon
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Just like cocoa, cinnamon is very high in polyphenols, and is especially known for reducing inflammation. There are two varieties of cinnamon, Cassia and Ceylon. Research has shown that Ceylon cinnamon is much more beneficial than Cassia, so if you have the choice in the grocery store, go for Ceylon.
Salmon
Most people know that salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help raise your good cholesterol and help brain function, among a number of other things. Salmon is also a great source of protein and B vitamins. B vitamins help with your energy levels and brain function. Salmon is super easy to prepare; you can bake it in your oven in no time.
Ginger
Ginger contains a powerful, medicinal antioxidant called Gingerol (creative name, right?!), which is known to reduce nausea and stomach aches. Gingerol can also help reduce muscle pain and soreness. I keep some fresh ginger root in my freezer so that I can easily grate it into salad dressings, tea, or marinades.
Avocados
At this point, most of us probably know that Avocados are a superfood. (Shoutout to avocado toast for really exposing this fruit to the world.) Avocados are an awesome source of healthy fats, potassium, fiber, and loads of different vitamins. The options for using avocados are endless. You can be basic and put it on your toast, or you can get wild and throw it in a smoothie.
Garlic
Garlic has a variety of health benefits, but it's most well known for it's immune support functions. If you have a cold, or get sick often, you might want to consider throwing a little bit of garlic into your daily meals. You don't need to go crazy and make everyone run from your garlic breath, but a little bit of garlic daily has been proven to reduce the length of illnesses, and improve your chances of staying healthy.
Greek Yogurt
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Greek yogurt is one of the things I would really miss if I couldn't eat dairy. It's creamy, delicious, and filling, but it also has some amazing health benefits. Each serving of greek yogurt is super high in protein to help keep you full and repair your muscles. In addition, greek yogurt is high in probiotics which will help keep your gut healthy. Greek yogurt is the perfect thing to start or end your day with, just make sure you look for the "plain" variety, as a lot of flavored yogurts are extremely high in added sugar.
Adding nutritious foods to your diet doesn't have to be difficult and it doesn't have to taste bad. Adding a few of these foods to your weekly routine could end up making huge positive improvements to your health and lifestyle in the long run!