In recent years, the global obsession with keeping fit has meant the arrival of a new category of healthy superfood. Whether it’s looking in to acai benefits. Eating our bodyweight in avocado, or just visiting a superfoods market. But do these foods really make a difference to our bodies? Choosing between eating sweet potato, kale and quinoa can sometimes be boring as well as costly. So it’s nice to know if sacrificing chocolate really is benefiting us. Plus there’s the question – Are fitness superfoods really worth it?
In order to be classed as a superfood a product must have a high nutritional value and quantity of antioxidants. Together with Suttons Seeds, we have researched five of these superfoods to see whether they live up to the hype.
Avocado
Avocado is one of the most well-known superfoods. In part, thanks to its popularity with social media influencers. It’s becoming more of a major player in restaurant menus due to its easily adaptable form for recipes. It offers a host of vitamins, including A, C, D, E and K, as well as folic acid, magnesium, potassium, Omega 3, lutein, and fibre.
Rather than following the crowd. Use your avocado for soups, juices, toast, salads, and smoothies instead. Save some money and create a budget brunch of guacamole bread that can cost as little as 76p a head. Or try this avocado noodle recipe.
Even though it’s labelled as a greasy fruit. It’s not the same type of grease that comes with a slice of pizza. Most of the grease in an avocado is omega 3 which can help lower cholesterol to prevent heart disease. The grease can also be used instead of butter or oil when cooking. Plus, the actual flesh can also be used to create hair and face masks. What more could you wish for, right?
Mango
This tasty fruit and is jam-packed full of the good stuff. Mango contains over 20 vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This places it firmly at the top of the list of easiest ways to eat healthily. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also known for being a quick-digesting carbohydrate. It offers 25 grams per one cup serving. Getting the most out of your mango can be hard so why not try something a little different with a light chicken mango salad?
Sweet Potato
A versatile sweet potato is as full of nutrients as the rest of the superfood family. Sweet potatoes can be more expensive in the supermarket than the usual spud. However, un-like their less-healthy counterpart, the sweet potato isn’t as easy an option if you want to grow your own veg.
It’s not just bananas that are a great source of potassium. Try a sweet potato and get the added carbohydrates, minerals and antioxidants as well. This, according to studies, aids muscle tissue repair and can help prevent fatigue in your muscles. Their fibre content is also much higher than the average potato. When combined with the likes of magnesium, the sweet potato can help improve your digestion. Elsewhere, they’re an effective remedy to cure congestion of the nose. Which can also help relieve asthma symptoms and treat bronchitis. Other benefits are said to include a boosted immune system, helping to cure stomach ulcers, and maintaining the body’s water balance.
Why not try a twist on an old classic and make a sweet potato shepherd’s pie. Simply replace the normal mashed potato topping with sweet potato and you’re onto a winner!
Quinoa
Health benefits of quinoa are almost never ending; this superfood is categorised as a complete protein due to it containing all 10 essential amino acids which makes it a pro at muscle growth and repair. Equally, quinoa is a complex carbohydrate, offering 46 grams each cup, which means that it provides longer-lasting energy. This seed is often mistaken for a grain, but that doesn’t stop it being full to the brim with nutritional goodness.
Quinoa is also gluten free and high in fibre. However, the fibre is not all soluble and it has a low glycaemic index which can help be part of a lower calorie intake. To combat the cost, take a look at our quick and easy, cheap spinach and mushroom quinoa.
Even though food trends certainly come and go, there’s no reason why these superfoods can’t stick around. With so much goodness to offer, they don’t have to be part of an expensive recipe and by researching meals, you can incorporate into your diet without adding too much cost to your weekly shop.
What do you think? Are superfoods really worth the money?
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