Embarking on a journey to optimize your nutrition often involves exploring beyond the familiar terrain of everyday fruits and vegetables. In the vast landscape of superfoods, there exists a trove of nutrient-rich treasures that might have eluded your culinary radar. From ancient grains with unparalleled nutritional profiles to exotic berries with surprising health benefits, this blog unveils a collection of 12 superfoods that may have yet to grace your plate or palate. Join us in unraveling the mysteries and discovering the nutritional wonders of these lesser-known, but equally potent, superfoods.
The List Of 12 Superfoods You’ve Never Heard Of
1. Peppadew Peppers
These fruits, combining sweet and spicy flavors, bear a resemblance to a cross between a cherry tomato and a red pepper. Originating from Africa, they have gained popularity among chefs in the United States.
Nutritional benefits: A third cup of peppadews delivers heart-protective vitamin B6, cancer-fighting lycopene, and a day’s supply of vitamin C. Locate this fruit in the salad section of high-end grocery stores like Wegmans.
Ways to enjoy them: Incorporate peppadews into a salad featuring avocado and almonds or include them in a straightforward pasta dish with olive oil and garlic. These compact peppers are also ideal for stuffing; for a delightful snack or appetizer, consider filling them with fresh mozzarella or goat cheese.
2. Holy Basil
Known as tulsi or holy basil, this beloved Indian herb is perfect for imparting a burst of freshness and flavor to nearly any dish.
Health benefits: Studies on animals suggest that the natural compounds in holy basil may contribute to combating diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. While it’s available at Asian specialty stores and farmers’ markets, if time is of the essence, consider using fresh sweet basil, conveniently found at your local grocery store.
How to incorporate it: Opt for freshness by chopping a generous amount of the herb and sprinkling it over scrambled eggs, soups, or stir-fried dishes.
3. Aronia Berry
Once celebrated by Native Americans as a miraculous fruit, this petite and tangy berry, also known as a chokeberry, has reemerged as a superfood.
Health benefits: Boasting the highest concentration of anthocyanins among fruits, potent antioxidants responsible for its rich purple hue, aronia demonstrates a capacity to combat cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, and even liver damage in studies involving rats.
How to incorporate it: Immerse yourself in the advantages of aronia by enjoying a bottle of Oki, a juice blend that harmonizes aronia’s bold flavor with the natural sweetness of an assortment of other antioxidant-rich fruits, including blueberry, black currant, and açai. Alternatively, blend some into a refreshing smoothie.
4. Celeriac
Despite its unimpressive appearance, this winter root vegetable, characterized by its lumpy exterior, compensates with a delightful, celery-like flavor.
Health benefits: Celeriac is rich in bone-strengthening vitamin K and serves as a commendable source of vitamin C and potassium.
How to incorporate it: Blend it with other root vegetables in soups and stews, or shred it raw into coleslaw. Additionally, consider substituting celeriac for half of your next mashed potato batch. Treat it like you would potatoes—peel, boil, mash—for a subtle touch of earthy sweetness and reduced carbohydrate content. Speaking of which, explore the remarkable 10 Awesome Things That Happen to Your Body When You Cut Back on Carbs!
5. Hemp Seed Nuts
Resembling the flavor of sunflower seeds, these nuts are derived from hemp seeds, which are also utilized for cultivating cannabis. (Rest assured, we understand the concern, and the answer is no.)
Health benefits: Pound for pound, hemp seed nuts offer more high-quality protein—6 grams per tablespoon—than even beef or fish. Each nut is also rich in heart-healthy alphalinoleic acid. You can find them in your local health-food store or in the natural-products section of your grocery store.
Ways to enjoy them: Indulge in them straight from the bag, or sprinkle a handful on salads or into your morning oatmeal. For a delectable journey to lose up to 16 pounds in 14 days with enticing breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, explore the 150+ delicious, healthy weight-loss recipes in the new book from The Abs Diet creator David Zinczenko: Zero Belly Cookbook!
6. Goldenberries
These zesty, deep yellow berries originate from South America, where they are either sold fresh or transformed into preserves. In the United States, the fruit is more commonly encountered in its dried and packaged form.
Health benefits: A single serving of dried goldenberries packs 4 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Additionally, they serve as an excellent source of vitamin A and boast disease-fighting antioxidants. You can locate them at Whole Foods.
Ways to enjoy them: Indulge in the dried berries as a standalone snack, similar to how you would with raisins, or sprinkle a handful onto a salad or your breakfast cereal. For an added energy boost, explore healthy snacks, such as those featured on the ultimate list of the 50 Best Snacks for Weight Loss!
7. Mung Beans
Frequently consumed in China and India, these beans offer a delicate texture and a sweet, nutty taste.
Health benefits: Beyond being rich in potassium, iron, and fiber, these beans boast an impressive 24 percent protein content. Additionally, unlike numerous other legumes, mung beans maintain a significant amount of vitamin C even after boiling.
How to incorporate them: Boil dried mung beans until they reach a tender consistency, then toss them into your upcoming salad. Their inherent sweetness enhances flavor without introducing excess calories or sodium.
8. Fenugreek
This piquant herb, infused with the aroma of curry, is a common ingredient in many flavorful Indian dishes.
Health benefits: Numerous studies indicate that fenugreek may contribute to blood sugar regulation. Scientists believe it achieves this by delaying stomach emptying, thereby slowing carbohydrate absorption and improving insulin sensitivity after a meal. Locate it in Indian stores.
How to incorporate it: Fenugreek is a key component in most curry powders. Alternatively, enhance the flavor of beef stew by stirring in a teaspoon of pure fenugreek powder, or add whole seeds to a rice dish to craft a Southeast Asian-style pilaf.
9. Nori
This seaweed is a staple in Japanese cuisine, easily recognizable as the dark wrapping around your spicy tuna roll. It imparts a slightly salty, mineral flavor to soups, salads, and sushi.
Health benefits: Packed with fiber and protein, nori offers a triple dose of cancer-fighting elements, including lignans, phytonutrients known to inhibit tumor growth. Find it in the international section of your local market.
How to incorporate it: Roll your own sushi, or for immediate use, grind nori pieces in a coffee grinder and utilize the powder as a salt alternative to season various dishes. Along with a fruit that surprisingly tastes like chocolate pudding, seaweed is also featured among our Top 8 Secret Superfoods for Weight Loss!
10. Amaranth
Similar to quinoa, this seed, rich in nutrients, originates from the Americas and served as a fundamental component of the Incan diet. The grain-like seeds boast a mild, nutty flavor.
Health benefits: Pound for pound, amaranth stands out with an impressive nutritional profile. It surpasses wheat and brown rice in both fiber and protein content, loaded with vitamins. Moreover, studies indicate its potential to aid in reducing blood pressure and harmful LDL cholesterol.
How to incorporate it: Cooking up like rice, amaranth offers even greater versatility. Use it as a base for chicken or steak alongside grilled vegetables or mix it with apples, almonds, and goat cheese for a substantial salad.
11. Sunchokes
These veggies, often referred to as Jerusalem artichokes, bear no relation to artichokes and aren’t originally from Israel. Resembling knobby potatoes, they possess a nutty, mildly sweet flavor.
Health benefits: Sunchokes boast fructooligosaccharides, sweet fibers that enhance gut health and potentially bolster immunity.
Enjoying them: Experiment with sunchokes as a French fry substitute. Slice them into matchstick pieces, coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then bake at 350°F for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
12. Pu-erh Tea
A fermented Chinese tea boasting an earthy flavor, Pu-erh has the potential to shrink the size of your fat cells.
Health benefits: To unveil the fat-fighting properties of this brew, Chinese researchers conducted a study involving rats over a two-month period. The rats were divided into five groups, including a control group, a group on a high-fat diet without tea supplementation, and three groups on a high-fat diet with varying doses of pu-erh tea extract. The study revealed a significant reduction in triglyceride concentrations (a potentially harmful type of fat in the blood) and belly fat among the groups on the high-fat diet with pu-erh tea. It stands out as a natural fat-blaster, alongside barberry, rooibos, and white tea.
How to enjoy it: Our admiration for Pu-erh is so profound that we’ve incorporated it into our latest weight-loss plan, The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Diet and Cleanse! Test panelists experienced weight loss of up to 10 pounds in just one week!
Conclusion
As we conclude our exploration of these 12 lesser-known superfoods, it’s evident that the world of nutrition is a vast and ever-surprising realm. From the heart of ancient traditions to the discoveries of modern research, these superfoods offer a diverse array of flavors and health benefits. Whether you’re seeking to broaden your culinary horizons or elevate your nutrient intake, incorporating these hidden gems into your diet might be the key to unlocking a healthier and more vibrant lifestyle. As you venture forth on your wellness journey, remember that the world of superfoods is ever-expanding, with countless treasures waiting to be unearthed and embraced. Here’s to nourishing your body and delighting your taste buds with the abundance of nature’s nutritional gifts.
