It seems like each week, there’s a new food that has achieved the coveted label of “superfood,” and if it’s not a new food we’re unfamiliar with, it’s a food we’ve been eating for ages that we’ve only just discovered has some new properties or benefits that have allowed it to adopt the mantle of “superfood.”
Below is a list of some superfoods you’ll want to add to your diet to ensure you maintain that summer body you’ve been working for all winter.
Kale
It should come as no surprise that kale made it on the list—it’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.
It’s full of many different essential vitamins—one cup of raw kale has vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, manganese, calcium, copper, potassium, and magnesium.
It’s also low in calories—only 33 per cup—and carbs, it has six grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, and it has three grams of protein.
It’s also high in antioxidants, which provides benefits such as improving heart health, lowering blood pressure, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-depressant and anti-cancer effects.
Kale does so much, the only downside of adding it to your diet can be finding a way to make it taste good. But fortunately, there are some recipes that do so!
Blueberries
These little blueberries provide tons of dietary benefits that you probably didn’t know about. Similar to kale, blueberries are incredibly nutrient-dense—they’re among the most nutrient-dense berries in the world.
The most common nutrients found in blueberries are vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese, and one cup only has 84 calories and 15 grams of carbs.
They’ve also been known to increase antioxidants in the body and to reduce the effects of aging and decrease the chances of developing cancer. Additionally, they’ve been linked to helping prevent heart disease, lowering blood pressure, and improving brain function, help with muscle recovery, and fight urinary tract infections.
Best of all, they taste good, and there are tons of recipes that feature them as the leading ingredient.
Eggs
Eggs have been a controversial topic among many nutritionists—there was a time when everyone was encouraging the consumption of eggs, then people were saying eggs were bad for you, but now, thanks in part to more thorough research, we’ve realized eggs are in fact good for you.
They contain many beneficial nutrients including B vitamins, choline, selenium, vitamin A, iron and phosphorus. They’re also extremely high in protein and provide great protein alternatives for people who can’t/don’t eat meat.
But that’s not all! Eggs also provide two antioxidants—zeaxanthin and lutein—associated with protecting vision and eye health.
One of the reasons people in the past felt eggs should be avoided was due to their high cholesterol levels. However, recent research has found that there is no measurable increase in the risk of heart disease or diabetes from eating six to 12 eggs per week.
Additionally, some studies have found eggs can increase good cholesterol levels, which would reduce the risk for heart disease—however, more research is needed to determine how accurate this is.
Another great thing about eggs is they’re versatile and be used in many different recipes!
