While we all hail kale and bow down to bee pollen for their ‘super food’ status (as well as their satisfying taste of course), did you know that there’s a longstanding bunch of original super foods that are cheap, nutrient rich, easy to cook with, and best of all – are probably already in your fridge? Yep, I’m talking about the original super foods… Aka real food. While we enjoy an ancient grain and Amazonian berry as much as the next person, we’re super passionate about letting you know that you don’t need to fork out your life savings at a health food store to load your body with nutrients.
Let’s take it back to basics…
Among the healthiest food on the planet, it’s hard to believe there’s so much goodness in one little shell, but eggs are just about as nutritious as they come and have even been dubbed nature’s multi-vitamin. Loaded with almost every vitamin and mineral our bodies need, eggs can lower cholesterol levels, decrease your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and can even help you lose body fat by keeping you full for long periods of time.
How we love them: Bake them, boil them, scramble them, poach them, soldier them, frittata them, fry them.
Our Favourite recipe: Lazy Girl’s 2-Minute Green Frittata
This sweet little root vegetable has so much more to offer than just its delightful taste. Rich in a whole host of vitamins (especially vitamin A) the beta carotene found in sweet potato can help improve and regulate blood sugar levels, help support a strong immune system and promote good vision and cellular repair.
How we love them: Mash them, roast them, puree them, steam them, bake them, grill them or stuff them.
Our favourite recipe: Sweet Potato Fries with Cashew Guacamole
It’s not always easy being green, unless you’re talking about broccoli. This popular and nutritionally well-rounded member of the brassica family is high in dietary fibre, folate and cancer fighting carotenoids to help keep you regular, aid your bodies natural detoxification process and support your digestive system.
How we love them: Steam it, roast it, braise it, stir-fry it, pan-cook it, grill it, mash it.
Our favourite recipe: Roast Veggie Frittata
We’re not even a little bit ashamed to admit that cinnamon is the most used spice on our overflowing spice rack. We put it in smoothies, sprinkle it on yogurt, roast our sweet potatoes in it (don’t knock it ‘til you try it), heck we even put it in our tea to give it an extra kick, but it’s not just the taste we’re addicted too… it’s the benefits. Cinnamon controls blood sugar levels, aids digestion & fights internal inflammation, fights PMS symptoms, wards against viruses and is even known to reduce irritability by acting as a mood enhancer.
How we love it: In smoothies, on yoghurt, sprinkled on roast veggies, in tea.
Our favourite recipe: Spiced Peanut Butter Stuffed Figs
Yoghurt sometimes cops a bad rap, but that’s only fair if you’re talking about the ‘low fat high sugar’ stuff that’s often marketed as healthy, but natural Greek yoghurt is both delicious and nutritious. Not only is it high in protein and low in sugar making it the perfect post workout recovery meal, but it’s also packed full of probiotics to keep your gut happy by warding off any bad bacteria that may have accumulated and is chock full of calcium to keep your bones healthy and happy.
How we love it: With granola, on smoothies, as a dressing and on fruit salad.
Our favourite recipe: Healthy Greek Gyros with Greek Yoghurt Dressing