Summer is (thankfully!) right around the corner. This means warm weather, beach trips, and the cliché vision of me driving down a long road with my hair flowing beautifully in the wind. But that’s easier said than done, so this spring I’m prepping my hair from the inside out to make it the best it can be. Here’s 10 foods you should eat for healthier hair.
1. Avocado
Consider it another excuse to get avocado toast next Sunday at brunch. Avocados are rich in biotin, a vitamin of the B complex, which helps to maintain and strengthen healthy hair. Yea, avo toast may be basic, but it’ll give you great hair (and a good insta).
2. Almond Butter
Vitamin E helps to promote growth and shine in hair. Almond Butter is a great source of the fat-soluble vitamin E and is easy to incorporate into most diets. Here’s 9 unusual ways you can sneak almond butter into your food.
3. Sweet Potatoes
Dense in beta carotene, sweet potatoes stimulate the oil glands in your scalp to prevent dry, dull hair. So order that side of sweet potato fries, you’re doing your hair a favor! Talk about a fun way to get some more sweet potatoes in your diet.
4. Spinach
Rich in iron and sebum, spinach is a great food for your hair. Weakened hair can be a result of a deficient diet, so eating lots of mineral dense foods, like spinach, can be an easy way to ensure your hair will be shiny and strong all summer long. Don’t we all want that?!
5. Oatmeal
Oatmeal helps encourage the growth of thicker and healthier hair because it’s rich in minerals, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. Not a big oatmeal fan? Here’s 5 tricks to make you love oatmeal.
6. Lentils
Folic acid helps to aid in the restoration of red blood cells which carry oxygen to the scalp. Lentils are full of this acid as well as many other minerals and protein. If you need more convincing, check out these easy ways to get more lentils in your diet.
7. Walnuts
Due to the omega-6 fats in the nuts, walnuts can dramatically strengthen hair follicles and even prevent hair loss. Additionally, the essential minerals in the nuts help to increase hair growth. A food that does two jobs? I’ll take it.
8. Spirulina
Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that contains lots of copper, and it’s even been linked to improving and reversing hair loss. Check out this article to get the low-down on this super food, and get more of it in your diet.
9. Chickpeas
Chickpeas, like lentils, are rich in folic acid. Also known as Vitamin B9, this acid helps to increase blood and oxygen flow to the scalp. The recommended daily value of folic acid is 400mg, but a single cup of chickpeas can pack in nearly four times the daily value. For all you hummus fans out there—this is great news.
10. Bok Choy
You can never have too many greens—and neither can your hair. Bok Choy is full of ferritin, a protein that helps the body absorb and store iron. Iron consumption and absorption is extremely important to ensure strong hair follicles, supporting the hair at the root. This typical Chinese food gives you all the more reason to hit your favorite Chinese restaurant… just try and stick to the healthier options.
Diet plays an important role in our lives and can affect how our bodies function and look on the outside. By implementing some of these 10 foods for healthier hair into your diet now, your hair will be thanking you when the wind is blowing through your hair this summer.