“Superfoods” to add to your diet
Adding a “superfood” or two to your diet is guaranteed to ramp up your nutrition! These vegetables and fruits don’t earn the moniker “super” for nothing. They’re so named because they pack twice the nutrition of other fruits and vegetables. When you add a superfood to your diet, you’re supercharging your day.
KALE
You’ll find kale in the lettuce section of your grocery store, and if you haven’t tried it, now is the time to start. Kale has dark green and dense leaves, and leaves foods like spinach in the dust when it comes to nutrition. Packed with vitamins A and C, phytonutrients, carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and calcium, kale is the wunderkind of the dark, leafy greens. Jam-packed with anti-oxidants, kale is a fantastic addition to your dinner plate.
Kale is great in smoothies, and much like spinach, can be thrown into virtually any fruit combination. Blend it with bananas and strawberries for a morning pick-me-up.
Work kale into your lettuce salad, for an extra burst of nutrition. As you become more accustomed to the flavor, you can gradually replace traditional iceberg lettuce with this superfood.
You might even try cooking roughly torn kale into stews – Italian sausage, mushrooms, and kale make a fantastic and very flavorful stew.
QUINOA
If you’re saying, “Huh? What’s that?!” then you’re not alone. The popularity of this ancient food has exploded in recent years, trending upward alongside the increasing popularity of gluten-free diets.
Quinoa is delicious, with a nutty flavor that recalls popular grains. Quinoa is really a seed, and originates in the Andes Mountains. It’s considered a “superfood” because it is not only considered a whole grain, but it also has the amino acid profile of a protein. It packs a big nutritional punch, with minerals aplenty, including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, zinc, magnesium, and iron.
Quinoa cooks up like rice, with a 2-1 ratio of water to quinoa. Cook it with a meat or vegetable stock to add extra flavor, and combine it with your favorite steamed veggies for a delectable whole food treat. In fact, you can use quinoa in pretty much any scenario when you might normally reach for rice. Quinoa outpaces rice in every way when it comes to nutritional value.
Quinoa is very versatile, and you can eat it for breakfast in place of oatmeal. Traditional oatmeal accompaniments like honey, nuts, or fruit all taste delicious in quinoa.