You might be thinking superfoods require a trip to some health-obsessed marketplace, or that they need to be infused, sprouted, or otherwise transformed into some culinary Frankenstein before you can ingest them. But the biggest superfoods are super simple to incorporate into your diet.
Many people struggle with issues of improvement and failure because they approached physical preparation (or any other endeavour) and attempted to improve physical preparation poorly. Incorporating improved physical preparation into activities and daily life can happen if it is treated as a practice rather than a project.
Start with your morning routine
While many superfoods are easy enough to incorporate into your diet at breakfast, using a smoothie as a vehicle to introduce them into your daily routine is even easier. However, simply throwing a bunch of superfoods into a blender and serving up the result is not always acceptable.
Freeze these items: frozen berries, frozen spinach, and bananas. Add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flaxseed. You won’t even know they’re there, and they will add omega-3s and fiber to your smoothies, and freezing them will make them easier to add to your recipes without wasting.
I tend to incorporate my goji berries and hemp hearts superfoods into my oats in the morning. Whether it be an overnight oats jar (when I am in a mad dash in the mornings and can’t make a smoothie), or as part of a smoothie first thing. Oats are really good at breaking down the texture and then distributing the flavour for you (just like cacao does).
Many of us are unaware that coffee drinkers already have a powerful ally in their daily routines. All it takes is a spoonful of cacao or maca added to your morning joe. And, as with any new ingredient, start with a small amount and allow your taste buds to adjust to the deeper flavor.
Prep matters
Prep your mornings! Fill bags with your favorite smoothie ingredients and superfoods on Sunday night. Then on Tuesday morning (or whenever), just toss all the bags in the blender and hit puree.
Strategic snacking upgrades
Superfoods can easily be integrated into everyday snacks. We’ve highlighted some tasty options to boost your favourite treats.
Replace raisins with Dried Mulberries in your trail mix! So nutrient dense! Greek yogurt with blueberries and bee pollen: lots of protein, probiotics, and antioxidants! Avocado toast with pumpkin seeds: So simple and so full of healthy fats and minerals!
For dark chocolate lovers, taking your dark chocolate to the next level by incorporating cacao nibs and some nuts is a great idea. They have a bitter taste, but they are full of minerals and do so much more good for you than the regular chocolate we often consume. Energy balls: These can be made in minutes over the weekend and then rolled into balls and stored in the fridge until your next energy dip in the afternoon. They can be made from dates, nuts, and a number of superfood powders and are a perfect on-the-go energy solution.
Plant-based options that actually work
Superfoods are so last year—unless those superfoods are plants you’ve never heard of. While kale and quinoa may still be the most popular superfoods on the market, there are a host of other plant-based power foods that are just as nutritious and offer a plethora of uses.
Many people are unaware of the ‘sea vegetables’ that exist in the produce department, and they are by far the most mineral-rich foods available, and easiest to ingest. Nutrient-rich algae like spirulina can be combined with other ingredients to make a complete protein, as it contains all essential amino acids. Spirulina has a very strong taste and can be overpowering if taken in large doses. Blending with fruit will mask the flavor while still providing a boost of nutrients.
Moringa has a mild taste with a slight hint of mild spinach flavor, but it tends to be overpowered by most flavors. One tablespoon contains over 100 I.U. of vitamin A along with a huge amount of calcium and iron. So go ahead and wash it down with some yummy juices, or add it to your morning scrambled eggs, salad dressings, and a variety of other awesome foods and drinks.
Contrary to what you might expect from the name, Tiger nuts are small, whole tubers that are very energy-rich and have a delicious, slightly sweet taste. They can be used as a flour substitute for baking. Rich in fibre and gluten-free, they are a great healthy alternative to many everyday foods and snacks.
Supplement integration
Supplements are used to fill in nutritional gaps when fresh, whole foods are not readily available. Supplements are not meant to be replacements for whole foods.
Powdered greens are the most versatile to use in different recipes or applications and come in various quality levels. So, after you choose a product, research how it fared on third-party product testing websites and review the label for quality ingredients.
Making it sustainable
We tend to think that to make change last, we need to prove it in an experiment over a long period of time, say two weeks. But in reality, the best way to make change last is to make it original, realistic, and easy to implement. In fact, if making better changes lastingly means doing one thing differently rather than ten, then one or two new habits are easier to incorporate into your life than ten.
Track your REAL diet, not your intentions. Most people who use Diet Tracker throw money at superfoods that never get opened because they overreport their intake of healthy foods. Start with a few foods and use flavors you like before adding in the more exotic options.
Most produce is available year-round, but the best time to enjoy a particular variety of produce is during the season it is harvested. We love enjoying fresh summer berries, juicy fall pomegranates, and our winter citrus delivery. By rotating with the seasons, we can keep the prices low while enjoying the produce at its best. This week’s berry mix consists of strawberries, kiwi, and blueberries.
A diet with HIGH levels of nutrients is pointless if it can’t be sustained in the long run. If you fill your diet with a multitude of foods with high levels of nutrients in anticipation of a “superfood” fad going on in the near future, you will toss all your hard work out the window by incorporating a handful of nutrient-dense foods into your diet that you enjoy and can make part of your long-term eating habits.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article on superfoods should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article on superfoods are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements.
