Superfoods Shopping List

Many times when you hear about the latest and greatest superfood, it isn’t something you would typically pick up at your local grocery store. So often it’s a “newly discovered” berry or plant found in the Amazon Rainforest. Unless you choose wisely, the only thing “super” about the item may be the sticker shock you encounter when you bring it to the register.

I am a believer that most superfoods are more common than you think. You can pack your body full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from common foods at your local grocery store that you may have never known were truly super. The good news is you can get the health benefits of “champagne” superfoods on a club soda budget. And here’s how.

Table of Contents

Top 7 Common Superfoods to Add to Your Shopping Cart

1. Broccoli

The first item on this superfood list is the cruciferous vegetable, packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. The superfood broccoli contains a substance called sulforaphane, which has been identified as an anti-cancer nutrient. This compound can potentially stop and prevent the growth of tumors!

And if preventing cancer isn’t a good enough reason to start incorporating broccoli into your diet, then its high fiber, vitamin C and calcium content should! Broccoli even contains compounds which help facilitate detoxification and nourish the liver. When your mom told you to eat your broccoli, she was on to something! (1)

2. Blueberries

Although most berries are high in nutrients, blueberries take the cake when it comes to superfood. They are extremely high in antioxidants and have many vitamins, phytochemicals and flavonoids.

The flavonoids in blueberries come from their deep purple blue color. These flavonoids protect neurons in the brain, which in turn protect our memory. (2)
The high antioxidant content contained in blueberries have been linked lowering blood pressure, as well as speeding up the metabolism.
Anthocyanin, a particular antioxidant in blueberries, has been shown to lower bad cholesterol, prevent heart disease, and inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. (3)
Blueberries also contain fiber and up to 24% of your daily value of vitamin C.

If you can’t find them fresh, buy a bag of frozen blueberries. Sprinkle them on your morning oatmeal or blend them in a smoothie. Blueberries are one of the most delicious superfoods!

3. Organic Yogurt

This superfood may be a bit surprising to you, but yogurt is really quite super. It is not only an excellent source of calcium, but contains nourishing probiotics.

Probiotics are living healthy bacteria that help maintain a healthy digestive tract. These probiotics:

Prevent diarrhea
Treat constipation
And boost the immune system

Yogurt is often tolerated well by those who are lactose intolerant because the lactose has been converted to lactic acid.

While yogurt can be a nutritious food and tasty snack, not all yogurt is created equal. Stay clear of flavored and sweetened yogurts; they typically contain a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners. I suggest buying plain organic yogurt and sweetening it yourself with a natural sweetener like stevia or berries.

4. Kale

For years, I didn’t even think kale was edible! I thought this bitter green was just a pretty garnish for the plate. Now kale is gaining popularity as one of the most nutritious superfoods you can put in your body!

Packed full of nutrition, kale contains 192% of the recommended daily value for vitamin A.
It is high in vitamins A, C and K, as well as the minerals calcium and iron.
It also contains lutein, which is very important for eye health.
Kale has 45 different flavonoids, which account for it’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
A cousin to broccoli, kale also contains sulforaphane, a strong detoxifier and anti-cancer nutrient.

That’s a lot of health in a leaf! You can find a variety of different types of the leafy kale by color: green, white, purple or bluish green.

5. Chocolate

I’m sure you’re quite relieved to see chocolate on this superfood list. For many of us, this is a dream come true. Chocolate, or technically cacao, is a very healthy and extremely delicious superfood. Not all chocolate is healthy though. When you do indulge in chocolate and you’re looking for a health benefit, true cacao is dark chocolate.. Milk chocolate and most chocolate candy is packed full of refined sugar and has little to none of the important nutrients found in cacao.

Cacao has been scientifically studied and shown to have numerous health benefits. A Harvard Research team analyzed over 20 studies with over a thousand participants. They found that cacao consumption lowered blood pressure and improved both blood vessel health and cholesterol. Cacao contains flavonoids that actually prevent heart disease!!

Another study that was published in the Chemistry Journal called cacao a superfood and stated that it contained more antioxidants, per gram, than blueberries and other super berries! Cacao can also:

Improve mood and cognitive function
Suppress the appetite
Lower insulin levels in diabetics

Remember, darker is better. Look at the cacao percentages on the label and shoot for 65% or higher cacoa for the best benefits. (3)(4)

6. Cinnamon

This super spice is one of the healthiest spices in the world! It not only improves the taste and flavor of foods, it improves your health! Cinnamon is heavily packed with antioxidants. If you compared it gram to gram, it would contain 50X the antioxidant power of most super fruits and veggies!

Scientist have discovered that cinnamon is an excellent way to control both blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the body.

It is also a natural anti-inflammatory. Chinese medicine uses cinnamon as a digestive tonic as well as an energy and vitality enhancer. These are all amazing incentives to start sprinkling cinnamon onto your foods daily.

7. Tea

I am a big promoter of tea. I rarely drink coffee and drink a morning tea instead. America is really one of very few countries where tea is not an important part of the culture. Instead of afternoon tea, we drink sugary flavored coffees or energy drinks. We can surely take a lesson from other countries across the world and their love of tea.

Tea contains many antioxidants, which prevent cell damage and mutations that grow cancer cells. The highest antioxidant component in green tea, ECGC, has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells! Green tea is also great at speeding up the metabolism.

Red tea and black tea also have health benefits. There are many medicinal teas that help treat colds and flu or soothe a sore throat. Put Tulsi tea on your superfood list as a great choice for those wanting to reduce their stress levels.

Once you enter the world of tea, it will open up so many different choices and flavors to try. It is really an exciting, delicious, and health enhancing experience that I recommend everyone embark on. Tea is a superfood that’s cheap, has no calories, is associated with relaxation and pleasure, tastes good, and is available everywhere, from the finest restaurants to the local diner.

Superfood Recipes

Once you have filled your shopping cart full of these amazing superfoods, it is time to start eating! I have included a couple great recipes that will help you incorporate as many of these superfoods as possible into your daily diet. These recipes are extremely simple to make. Much of what I believe holds many people back from eating healthy is the length of preparing healthy foods from scratch. That does not have to be the case. Healthy superfoods can be as quick and easy to prepare as fast foods!

Superfood Breakfast Parfaits

Breakfast parfaits are one of my absolute favorite things to have for breakfast. This recipe contains superfoods I have mentioned above, plus a few more ingredients that I consider to be amazing superfoods, as well. This recipe contains plain oats instead of granola, which is typically in parfaits. Granola is usually quite high in sugar, however the oats still contain the great health benefits of cholesterol lowering fiber.

This recipe is designed to be made the night before consuming. They keep several days and make for an amazing convenience, healthy, grab and go filling breakfast! Put it on your “easy to make” superfood list!

Main Ingredients:

¼ cup oats
¼ cup plain yogurt
⅓ cup organic milk
2 tsp chia seeds (high omega-3 superfood)
1 packet of stevia powder

From here you can play around with flavors. Mix and match and make it your own! Some great add-in’s would include:

¼ cup blueberries
1 tbsp of finely chopped dark chocolate
¼ cup of strawberries, raspberries, or cherries
¼ cup of peaches
¼ tsp vanilla extract

In a half pint jar, add in the main ingredients and shake well. Add the ¼ cup of fruit and any other add-in’s. Mix together thoroughly, place the lid on and refrigerate overnight.

Blueberry Chocolate Date Bars

Everyone loves chocolate, but many times it is hard to incorporate “healthy” forms of chocolate into your diet. This recipe contains no added sugar, but rich with antioxidant blueberries. It is also packed with healthy fiber! These bars are great for kids and can be a wonderful snack or even breakfast treat! (5)

1 cup dates
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Preparation

Process the dates in a food processor or blender until reduced to small chunks. Set aside.
Combine the ground flaxseed, slivered almonds, cacao nibs, sesame seeds, chia seeds and sunflower seeds in a large mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice and processed dates to the mixing bowl and mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined into thick clumps.
Add the blueberries and gently work the blueberries in with the other ingredients.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pan and press down firmly to form the energy bars.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to harden the bars.
After the energy bars are hardened, cut into squares and refrigerate in an airtight container.

Remember, incorporating superfoods into your diet doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. These superfoods are not only healthy, but they’re also affordable, familiar, and readily available at regular grocery stores and farmers markets. With so many choices, you’ll discover just how easy it is to eat super healthy every day…even when on a tight budget.

Start stocking your fridge and pantry with these 7 superfoods, which have been proven to help prevent and, in some cases, reverse the well-known effects of aging. You will begin to both feel and look better!

These foods keep you young on the inside and on the outside! You will never regret making healthier choices for yourself and your family! It the best decision you can make for a healthy, happy future by shopping with this superfood list!

Superfoods: The better you feel, the more you do it.

Do you plan your meals? Stock your kitchen for a week of super eating with this list. With a great superfoods list you can’t go wrong in the store. You can find just about ALL of these foods at a grocery store. Then eat one at each meal today. Be sure to bookmark it so you can pull it up on your phone! Share with a friend, too!

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