You’ve probably heard of “superfoods” – those amazing items that are packed with minerals and nutrients. Incorporating these special foodstuffs into your diet is highly beneficial: this will not only improve your overall health, but it will also help to manage existing health conditions, or lower your risk of developing them.
However, these superfoods can be a little intimidating if you’re not used to eating them, and you may struggle to make sure you eat them. Here are some easy tips for incorporating more superfoods into your diet.
1. Snack Right
Snacking doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Put some superfoods in your snacks and you’ll be satisfying your stomach at the same time as boosting your health. Try some dried fruit, seeds and nuts and throw in some goji berries for an incredible vitamin C boost. You can also add some fruit, seeds and nuts to natural yoghurt for a superfood snack.
2. Add Nuts to Everything
Nuts are a highly nutritious and too often overlooked ingredient: nuts like almonds, walnuts, and cashews are high in vitamins, protein, and fibre. Walnuts have the additional benefit of being high in Omega-3 fatty acid and so can help to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure.
Keep a bag of nuts in the kitchen cupboard or at your desk to use these as a quick, superfood snack. You can also add nuts to a range of dishes: sprinkle them over your salad or throw them in your stir-fry. You can also make a pesto sauce that is loaded with extra pine nuts.
3. Swap Your Sides
If you want to eat more superfoods, start paying attention to what’s on the side of your plate. Swap out your existing sides for foods that will give you an instant boost. For example, put some avocados on the side of your lunch or dinner, or add them to your salad. You can even use mashed avocado and lemon juice instead of mayonnaise and add it to your sandwich or burger. Avocados are packed with vitamins and also help to reduce LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, and promote HDL, the healthy cholesterol.
You can also swap out rice for quinoa, a superfood that is rich in protein and fibre. Or change potatoes over for sweet potatoes and get a bunch of vitamins as well as potassium. Use Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream.
4. Go Green
Green leafy vegetables are packed with goodness: they are high in fibre, as well as delivering a high concentration of vitamins and minerals. Make sure to include some green leafy vegetables in your diet, and with every meal if possible.
In order to make sure you get the maximum benefit that these leafies can offer, make sure to incorporate superfood green vegetables, like kale. By simply including some kale in your salad or your stir-fry, you’ll get Omega-3, Omega-6, and a serious amount of fibre. This means it will lower your blood glucose levels, help to stave off type 2 diabetes, and lower your risk of heart disease.
5. Add Some Berries to Your Brekkie
Blueberries are a true superfood: as well as being rich in a number of vitamins and minerals, they are incredibly high antioxidants, much more so than virtually any fruit. Anti-oxidants are beneficial because they help to reduce inflammation, which can cause aches and pains as well as health conditions such as arthritis.
Add some blueberries to your oatmeal in the morning, or throw them in your yoghurt with some nuts and seeds. Blueberries are not only high in antioxidants, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K, but they are also low in calories. With just 84 calories for a cup of blueberries, this is a great option for anyone looking to lose weight.
6. Become a Smoothie Fan
Smoothies are not only a convenient way to eat breakfast or grab a snack, they are also an easy way to add more superfoods to your diet. By making your own smoothie, you can control what goes in, thereby avoiding hidden sugar or saturated fat, and throwing in some ingredients that are packed with nutrients.
Use vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables as a base, and then add some superfood ingredients like chia seeds or spirulina. Chia seeds are packed with fibre and protein, while spirulina is high in potassium, magnesium and calcium, and can help to lower blood pressure. You can also add CBD to your smoothie for extra benefits: CBD products can help to manage anxiety, promote better sleep, and assist with treating a number of health conditions as a powerful anti-inflammatory.
