Cheap Superfoods to Fuel Your Health and Outlook
People who resolve to eat healthy are sometimes more than a little dismayed at the high price of nutrition. Vitamins and supplements are not cheap, and a pre-made salad can cost more than a candy bar or a bag of chips.
By Barbara Pronin
People who resolve to eat healthy are sometimes more than a little dismayed at the high price of nutrition. Vitamins and supplements are not cheap, and a pre-made salad can cost more than a candy bar or a bag of chips.
Researchers at onegreenplanet.org, an online lifestyle platform with a goal of helping people, animals and the planet, recommend seven (relatively) cheap superfoods that are far more valuable to our health and wellbeing than what they cost at the checkstand:
Spinach – Rich in calcium, folic acid, fiber and iron as well as vitamins C and K, this leafy green is cheaper than kale and can strengthen your bones, prevent disease and protect against age-related memory loss. Wash and cook it or chop into salad for an inexpensive health boost.
Strawberries – Called ‘heart berries’ by some native American tribes, the little fruits are full of phenols and other antioxidants that protect the organs by defending cell membranes. They offer heart boosters, cancer protection and anti-inflammatory compounds. Eat them out of hand or in cereal, salad, yogurt or smoothies.
Quinoa – Full of protein, this pseudo-grain contains very high levels of protein and fiber. Cook some up to serve with stir-fry dishes or fold into burgers, veggie burgers or muffins.
Bananas – They get a bad rap as carbohydrate-dense, but bananas are a proven potassium-rich superfood. Slice them onto cereal, eat them out of hand or mash them into quick breads or smoothies.
Sweet potatoes – The orange tubers are brimming with beta carotene, which raises vitamin A levels in the blood to help prevent colds, flu and certain eye disorders . Bake them, mash them or cut them into French fries and roast them with a bit of olive oil and salt.
Coconut oil – Speaking of oil, in some kitchens that drizzle of olive oil is being replaced by coconut oil. Packed with immunity, brain, and skin-revitalizing properties, coconut oil is becoming all the rage as the superfood it really is.
Himalayan pink sea salt – And speaking of salt, this superfood contains high doses of calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron, which aid the body in processing sodium chloride and maintaining an optimum electrolyte balance. It will cost more than regular iodized salt, but the health boost is disproportionately higher.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2014. All rights reserved.
