Innovative ways to add superfoods into your diet

No single food can do it all — not even superfoods. However, it goes without saying that some foods are healthier than others. Superfoods help promote health as it increases your immune function and decreases your chances of disease prevention or progression. Each superfood has different nutritional properties. Overall, they are closely associated with heart health, a strong immune system, cancer prevention, reduced inflammation, and lower cholesterol. 

There is actually no exact definition of what a superfood is or what they actually do. However, these are considered to be nutrient powerhouses. 

Superfoods offer exceptional health benefits, beyond what you would expect based on just their nutritional profile. Particularly, these are rich in antioxidants that protect your cells from damage. It also has minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, and the like which helps your body perform at its highest level. Then, there are vitamins that are better to get from organic compounds than from supplements. 

5 Innovative ways to add superfoods into your diet

Dark chocolate desserts

Loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health, dark chocolates are considered a superfood. Mainly because it can improve health and lower the risk of heart disease. Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and remains loaded with minerals. 

A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains the following:

• 11 grams of fiber
• 67% of the DV for iron
• 58% of the DV for magnesium
• 89% of the DV for copper
• 98% of the DV for manganese

Dark chocolates are also a powerful source of antioxidants. However, it’s worth mentioning that raw, unprocessed cocoa beans remain among the highest-scoring foods that have been tested. Aside from that, it may also improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. 

Consuming dark chocolate can improve several important risk factors for heart disease. The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be highly protective against the oxidation of LDL. In the long-term, dark chocolates should cause much less cholesterol to lodge in arteries. 

So, here are a few dark chocolate desserts you can try out:

• dark chocolate cookies
• dark chocolate cake
• dark chocolate cupcakes
• dark chocolare mousse
• dark chocolate chip banana cookies
• peanut butter and dark chocolate cups
• dark chocolate-covered strawberries

Mixed nuts as snacks

Nuts contain a host of nutrients. Most of the fat in nuts comes from heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Different nuts provide different ingredients that have been linked to a healthy heart and the prevention of other health problems. 

Almonds are a particularly rich source of antioxidant vitamin E. A good intake of which has also been associated with a healthy heart. Peanuts also contain a flavonoid called resveratrol. According to research, this may have anti-cancer properties. Meanwhile, walnuts contain ellagic acid, another antioxidant that remains linked to cancer. 

The nutrients also include:

• protein
• fiber
• calcium
• iron
• selenium
• magnesium
• and, vitamin E

So, here are a few nuts you can eat as snacks:

• almonds
• pistachios
• walnuts
• cashews
• pecans
• Macadamia nuts
• Brazil nuts
• hazelnuts
• peanuts

Cauliflower rice

Considered a superfood, cauliflower rice is a new food trend that actually has some surprising benefits. Instead of eating traditional rice, some people substitute cauliflower rice as a low-carb, low-calorie alternative. It’s easy to see why this is appealing. Cauliflower has a mild taste and can be cooked in a variety of ways. 

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Cauliflower rice also has some impressive health benefits:

• Reduced cellular oxidation. Filled with antioxidants like vitamin A and vitamin C which remove free radical particles from your body. Free radicals are loose oxygen molecules that can damage your cells and lead to cancer. 
• Ease of digestion. As a good source of dietary fiber, it is both soluble and insoluble. Soluble dietary fiber dissolves in water and turns into a gel in your stomach. This gel, then, absorbs cholesterol and helps remove it before it reaches your bloodstream. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, acts as a prebiotic as it feeds the good bacteria in your gut. 
• Improved immune function. Because cauliflower has vitamin C, it helps keep your immune system in good shape. 
• Lower blood pressure. Cauliflowers have sulforaphane that helps with lowering blood pressure. 

So, here are a few recipes you can do for your cauliflower rice:

• cheesy cauliflower rice
• cauliflower rice burrito
• grilled chicken cauliflower rice wrap

Yogurt desserts

Yogurt is considered a complete superfood. It boosts gut health and weight loss efforts. It remains versatile, tastes delicious, and has numerous health benefits: from weight loss to gut health. As a probiotic, it has detoxifying properties which makes it great for weight loss. Loaded with good bacteria, it can smoothen your digestion. When combined with other fruits and vegetables, it also makes for a healthy combo that protects you from colorectal cancer and tumors. 

Yogurt has health benefits which also include:

• Rich in zinc, it also has anti-inflammatory properties. Yogurt helps relieve sunburn and restores your skin. 
• Eating yogurt will nourish hair follicles, thanks to its content of Vitamin B5 and D. 
• It also boosts digestion and can reduce the effect of diarrhea and bloating. Yogurt helps healthy bacteria to flourish in your gut, improving the gastrointestinal system.
• Rich in calcium, yogurt makes it excellent for strengthening bones. Research even suggests that it can even be a treatment for osteoporosis. 
• Yogurt increases the absorption of trace minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and selenium, and boosts your immune system. 

So, here are a few things you can do for yogurt desserts:

• Greek yogurt cheesecake
• yogurt parfaits
• Greek yogurt dark chocolate pudding
• lemon berry yogurt cake
• frozen yogurt bark
• frozen yogurt
• blueberry yogurt swirl popsicles

Berries as candy

Berries are among the healthiest foods you can eat. As a superfood, they are delicious, nutritious, and provide a number of impressive health benefits. Loaded with antioxidants, the berries help keep free radicals under control. As mentioned before, free radicals are unstable molecules. These are beneficial in small amounts but can damage cells when numbers get too high, causing oxidative stress. 

Aside from that, berries are also high in fiber which includes soluble fiber. This kind of fiber slows down the movement of food through the digestive tract. This, then, leads to reduced hunger and increased feelings of fullness. Berries can also help fight inflammation which is your body’s defense against infection or injury. Aside from that, it may be good for your skin which reduces wrinkling. 

So, here are the healthiest berries you can eat as a substitute for candy:

• blueberries
• raspberries
• goji berries
• strawberries
• bilberries
• acai berries
• cranberries
• grapes

No single food can do it all — not even superfoods. However, it doesn’t hurt to have a healthier lifestyle and add these innovative ways to add superfoods into your diet.