Healthy People

Our guide to … Superfoods! The healthiest eating available?

November 3, 2011 at 10:11 am

Superfoods are often claimed to have quite dramatic effects, such as fighting cancer, slowing the ageing process, or prolonging life. Some items that seem to gain a lot of coverage in the health pages are goji berries, acai (açaí) berries, wheatgrass, pomegranate juice, and umeboshi plums. While there’s little doubt that these are good for us , a recent newspaper report highlights the debate surrounding the list of benefits some expensive superfoods are thought to provide. Could regular supermarket food have the same effects?

An NHS report entitled “Miracle foods: myths and the media” points out that there’s no scientific definition of the term superfood. The great news though is that while many of the things we eat in a balanced diet may not have miracle working properties, they are super nutritional in their own right. It goes without saying that a balanced diet is best, of course – large amounts of one ‘super food’ variety won’t turn a bad diet into a good one!

So, forget about the exotic and the unproven, and welcome to the world of everyday superfoods – the superheroes of the weekly shopping basket:

• Tea – it’s hydrating, contains antioxidants, and for many of us it’s also a quick fix that cheers us up.
• Apples – fresh, healthy, provide good amounts of vitamin C
• Tomatoes – versatile and full of good things like the antioxidant lycopene
• Brown bread – your morning toast contains starch for energy, vitamin E, B vitamins, plus fibre and minerals
• Oily fish – provide protein and could contribute to a healthy heart
• Bananas – energy-giving, convenient and a good source of potassium.

And then there’s the surprising superfoods –

• Popcorn – low in fat, high in fibre, and if you pop your own, no need for salt or sugar. And it’s also cheap. What’s not to like?
• Baked beans – providing carbohydrates, protein, fibre, calcium, and more. Go for the low salt option though, as the ordinary versions can be salty.
• Potatoes – packed with complex carbohydrates vitamins and minerals. Leave the skin on for extra nutrition.
• Cheddar – in moderation, a great provider of calcium and a whole host of vitamins and minerals.

So, for a tasty meal and a bit of a health boost, why not try one of our own recipes containing some of the above ingredients:

Boston baked beans – filling, tasty and full of soluble fibre to aid digestion and help lower cholesterol.

Superfood couscous – Vitamin C and beta carotene are provided by the tomatoes and pepper, pine nuts for zinc, and olives for healthy fats and vitamin E. A Mediterranean classic!

Grilled mackerel with warm lentil salad– oily fish for your omega 3 fatty acids to help reduce cholesterol, and oats for soluble fibre

Which ingredients would you nominate as your favourite superfoods? Let us know in the comments below!