7 Superfoods You Can Find At Any Grocery Store
by Jenny Jiles
Acai, Goji, Maca, Spirulina, Moringa, Camu Camu…the list keeps growing of foods we’ve never heard of that we’re told we must eat to be healthy. Where did these come from? Are these foods actually super? Do they have superpowers to reduce my crow’s feet, because I’ll Amazon subscription that shit. right. now.
These superfoods are trending big time and not just on Twitter. Every juice bar and froyo joint has acai plastered all over its menu. But what makes superfoods worthy of the SUPER title? Health experts define superfoods as a food that is highly nutrient dense. Meaning, these food provides a substantial amount of nutrients in very few calories. Example, you’d have to eat like ten oranges to get the amount of vitamin C in one teaspoon of camu camu powder. So, it’s superpowered, sure.
But superfoods are also foods rich in compounds like antioxidants, fiber, fatty acids, all beneficial to a person’s health.
Refresher: antioxidants are powerful substances that protect our cells from damage, and keep free radicals in check. Think of the antioxidants as a hug, that cuddles the angry, free radical cells and calms them, so they don’t do something drastic.
Many of these superfoods (berries, roots, seeds, greens, etc.) have to travel a long way to get here and that’s why we’re recently learning about them, and why they’re so expensive. Acai is grown in the Amazon, Gojis are from the Himalayas, Maca is from Peru. So, super foods, tend to be super pricy. But there are plenty of super foods (real foods) we can find in our regular people grocery store - no hippy Co-op membership required!
The list below are superfoods, highly nutrient dense and have a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and nutrients AND, can easy be found at any grocery store, and aren’t too hard on your bank account.
DARK LEAFY GREENS
This is the most annoyingly unglamorous one, so I figured I’d start here. Kale, Brussel sprouts, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, lettuce, micro greens, herbs like parsley and cilantro. These guys are all high in vitamin C & E, and beta carotene and folic acid. Honestly, we all need more greens and we aren’t getting enough. We need more of these than anything else, and fewer acai bowls. Ya know?
BLUEBERRIES (OR ANY BERRIES, REALLY)
These beauties are grown right here in North America, are high in antioxidants, vitamin c, have heart healthy benefits, and are basically the original superfood. If you want fancier, superfoodie ones, then go for wild blueberries which have even higher levels of all these nutrients. Trader Joe’s has good frozen ones.
NUTS & SEEDS
These are the ultimate superfoods, small little capsules of stable energy, and concentrated protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. This can be almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds but also, and I’m going to go a little superfoodie here…flax, chia and hemp seeds. These are newer to our grocery stores, but you can find them anywhere now days. Chia is a superstar because it has the same amount of calcium as a ½ cup of milk (milk is so old news), twice the iron as a cup of spinach, and yes, is high in antioxidants. To me, hemp is a favorite because it provides all of your essential amino acids, and that’s hard to come by in plant-based protein. One tablespoon gives you about 5 grams of protein and can be sprinkled on almost anything. It’s also is high in omega fatty acids, which is important for cell growth, cholesterol and heart health. Flax is similar to chia and hemp with their quality fatty acids, but also really helps with bowel regularity. That’s a big win.
OATS
Can’t get much simpler than this, but oats have tons of fiber, antioxidants, protein and is shown to help lower cholesterol. And just think, you can add some nuts, seeds and berries to your morning oats, and you’ll be winning the superfoodie healthy breakfast challenge.
GREEN TEA
This isn’t new news for us, but like hearing leafy greens make us healthy, hearing that we need to drink more green tea is enough to make us start snorting our coffee in rebellion. So it is not only high in antioxidants, but it’s also high in epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a phytochemical that slows irregular cell growth, which could potentially help prevent the growth of some cancers. I turned a corner about 7 years ago and I love green tea, matcha specifically, because one cup of matcha = 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea in terms of nutritional content and antioxidants.
MUSHROOMS
These feel like another one of those forgotten foods where you think, really? Mushrooms are super healthy? And the answer is: yes. While extra fancy mushrooms like Lion’s Mane, Pioppino, and Maitake boast extra antioxidents, your the run-of-the-mill portabello, shitake, cremini, and white mushrooms, have vitamin D, selenium, and a high concentration of micronutrients and antioxidents. Make sure to cook your mushrooms because it helps release their powerful nutrients.
SWEET POTATOES
This one makes me really happy. Because I love them. They are naturally sweet, but don’t spike your blood sugar, and are also high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and you know it, high in antioxidant. Top with some sautéed greens and mushrooms in olive oil, hemp seeds and yet again, you are Super-food-tastic.
I’m not saying that having some camu camu powder around during flu season is a bad idea, but I am saying, don’t stress if you don’t or can’t. There are plenty of regular foods we are used to eating that are powerhouses for our health. Also, I know you’ve heard it plenty of times but, no ONE ingredient is going to save any of us. Committing to one superfood in hopes of changing your weight, or cholesterol, or skin, or whatever, isn’t the answer. A diet with a variety of these healthy real foods is what helps keep us all healthy.
Jenny is a writer, cooking coach, and host of Cliffs Notes Kitchen, where she shows how simple, bite-sized shifts with minimal effort, can create lasting changes in your health. You can find more of her articles here.
