Break the norms and understand that no one food can provide you with all the essential nutrients that you need to energize or improve yourself. Even if it is a superfood, it still needs some other nutritional food to fulfill your daily nutrient intake.
The US Dietary Guidelines suggest adopting healthy eating habits, which means adding all sorts of healthy food to your meals while keeping your calorie intake in control. Various research shows that adopting healthy dietary habits can decrease the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and heart disease.
Dietary approaches like the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet significantly offer health benefits to the person. Well, there are some foods that have the ability to enhance the power of your meals. Let’s take a look at these “superfoods” and how you can add them to your daily meals.
1. Blueberries: The Antioxidant Powerhouse
Blueberries contain a high amount of antioxidant content, which ranks them among the top superfoods. These berries enrich Vitamin K and C and fiber, which helps improve digestion. The antioxidant ability of these berries fight against the oxidative stress in your body and reduce inflammation. This, however, results in lowering the chances of getting severe diseases like cancer or heart problems.
How to Enjoy:
- You can add some blueberries to your morning yogurt or smoothie.
- Enjoy them with your salad to get a sweet and sour taste.
- Eat them like an evening snack.
2. Kale: The Nutrient-Dense Green
Kale, a greenish-leaf vegetable, contains so many nutrients in it. It has a lot of vitamins K, C, and A, fiber, calcium, and iron in high amounts. The high antioxidant properties of Kale help your body to detoxify and improve its overall immune system.
How to Enjoy:
- Blend these leaves with your smoothie to get extra energy.
- Use the raw leaves for stews, soups, and salads.
- You can also make a side dish with them by sautéing kale and garlic in olive oil
3. Chia Seeds: The Omega-3 Rich Seed
Chia seeds do have a small composition, but these little seeds contain a pack of nutrients. These seeds are enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy and most important nutrient for better heart health. They also contain protein, fiber, phosphorus, and magnesium. All of these nutrients keep you full for a longer period and maintain your blood sugar level.
How to Enjoy:
- Chia seeds can be used in yogurt or oatmeal.
- Soak them overnight in milk to create a chia pudding later.
- They can also serve as a great alternative for eggs in baking.
4. Salmon: The Heart-Healthy Fish
Salmon fish comes in the list of top superfoods. It is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps maintain heart health. It also contains a high amount of protein, selenium, and Vitamin D. If you eat salmon regularly, you can see significant improvement in your brain function and reduction in body inflammation.
How to Enjoy:
- Either bake or grill the salmon and serve as the main dish.
- Use smoked salmon in sandwiches or salads.
- Add canned salmon to salads, fish cakes, and nuggets.
5. Quinoa: The Protein-Packed Grain
If you are looking for a high-protein superfood, Quinoa is what you need. It contains all main essential protein amino acids. Moreover, it is also packed with iron, manganese, magnesium, and fiber. Quinoa supports muscle growth and repair. Therefore, they make the best superfood to incorporate in your daily diet to improve your muscle strength.
How to Enjoy:
- You can use Quinoa with vegetables.
- Use it as an alternative to pasta or rice in your favorite food dish.
- Cook quinoa and add it to your salad for extra nutrition.
6. Turmeric: The Anti-Inflammatory Spice
Turmeric is not a fruit, vegetable, or seed but a spice. However, this yellow spice has more nutrients, minerals, and antioxidant properties than any other food. The high amount of curcumin in turmeric makes it antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It shows wonders in removing pain and inflammation and improving overall functionality.
How to Enjoy:
- Add a spoonful of turmeric to your milk lattes, smoothies, or hot drinks.
- Sprinkle it over your seasoned foods.
- Use it in the curries, soups, and stews to make them more nutritious.
7. Avocado: The Nutrient-Rich Fruit
Avocados are everyone’s favorite fruit. Not because it is tasty but because it has so many healthy nutrients that a person needs. It contains vitamins K, E, and C, fiber, and potassium. The enriched content of monounsaturated fats in avocados absorbs the fat-soluble vitamins in your body and enhances brain health.
How to Enjoy:
- Mashed avocado and use its spread over your morning toast.
- Cut slices and add them to salads.
- Blend avocados with other fruits in your smoothies.
8. Spinach: The Versatile Leafy Green
Spinach is also a leafy vegetable which is enriched with powerful nutrients. It contains iron, calcium, vitamins K, C, and A. The antioxidant ability of spinach supports your cell’s integrity and protects them from damage.
How to Enjoy:
- Use fresh spinach leaves in your salads or smoothies.
- Cut spinach and add them to pasta, soups, stews, and omelettes.
- Make a side dish by sautéing spinach leaves with olive oil and garlic.
9. Almonds: The Protein-Packed Nut
Almonds are on the superfood list due to their high nutrient profile. It contains protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Magnesium, vitamin E, and healthy fats. Almonds are sure to keep your skin healthy, help you manage weight, and improve your heart health.
How to Enjoy:
- Use them as a snack.
- Chop almonds and add them to salads, yogurt, or oatmeal.
- Incorporate almond butter in smoothies or sandwiches.
10. Sweet Potatoes: The Fiber-Rich Root Vegetable
Sweet potatoes taste like heaven. On the other hand, they are also a rich source of fibres, anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and A, and manganese. They improve your digestive system, immune health, and eyesight.
How to Enjoy:
- Roast or bake sweet potatoes and use them as a side dish.
- Use them as an alternative for mashed potatoes.
- Add them in casseroles, stews, and soups.
Conclusion
When you incorporate all of these superfoods into your daily diet plan. You will surely feel an improvement in your health with time. By adding these little foods to your daily meals, you can ensure that you get all the necessary nutrients daily. This will help you improve your digestive system, immune health, heart health, muscle strength, vision, and brain function.
So, if you want to make your life better without making major changes in your life, use these superfoods in your meals.
