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Thursday 5 November 2020

Five Underrated Superfoods

Emalyse Cosh writes:
"Superfoods can be lurking in the most unexpected places and believe it or not, you don’t need to hand over wads of cash to access some of the best. I’m here to show you five of my favourite underrated superfoods, some of them might even be in your kitchen (or garden) right now!


Watercress
With a perfect score of 100, humble watercress came out on top in a study of powerhouse fruits and vegetables, making it the highest-ranking vegetable for nutrient density, who knew! In the powerhouse fruits and vegetable study, forty-seven fruits and vegetables were tested in order to find out which ones had the highest bioavailability of nutrients. Watercress is high in Vitamin A, C, and E, as well as folate, calcium, and iron. Move over kale, watercress has arrived.


Parsley
Doing an assignment where we had to look up the amounts of specific nutrients in different foods. I was astonished by how highly parsley ranked across the board - it is high in Vitamin A, C, and K, and is a good source of folate, potassium, iron, magnesium, and calcium. I never looked at parsley the same after that and have been stacking my plate high, parsley shall no longer be restricted to garnish status!


Beet Greens
Beetroot leaves have been overlooked in the world of green leafy vegetables, but they certainly can (and should!) be used as salad greens. They are packed full of vitamin A, have more iron than spinach, and are actually more nutritious than the beetroot itself! Not too shabby for something that's often thrown into the compost.

sea-weed salad, image from here

Seaweed
Seaweed is super high in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, and can be a great vegan alternative to bone broth. It is one of the few foods high in iodine, which can increase thyroid function. There are so many seaweeds to choose from and if you don’t know where to start, give wakame, dulse flakes, or kelp a try - just be aware of where it is sourced from as seaweeds can easily absorb chemicals and heavy metals in contaminated waters.


Garlic
Garlic, a well-loved staple ingredient in so many dishes but it’s not just good for the tongue, it also does the body a whole world of good. Garlic is amazing for fighting illnesses and infections due to its antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Garlic is also a popular supplement used for heart and cardiovascular conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Top tip: make sure to crush the garlic before cooking or eating in order to activate the allicin compound and reap all the benefits."
You can see Emalyse's original article in full with all research links here

We bring a variety of articles, studies etc. plus recent news/views and recipe ideas to this blog, we hope something for everyone to read and enjoy. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

27 comments:

VENTANA DE FOTO said...

El perejil y el ajo, lo utilizo mucho en la condimentación de ciertos alimentos. Añade un punto de sabor, bastante bueno.

Besos

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Dash it all ... forgot to buy beet-roots. Should have visited your blog before going to the shops.

God bless.

Elephant's Child said...

Watercress is largely unavailable here. Which is sad.
And I do love my leafy greens. All of them. I have just planted some rainbow chard which I hope to enjoy all summer.

Tom said...

...yep, I've overlooked them.

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Major curly parsley fan here. Watercress isn't easy to find in the stores. I like the flavor.

Christine said...

A love list, my dad loved watercress, I should use it.

happyone said...

I use garlic and parsley but have overlooked the others.

Lorrie said...

Garlic and parsley are staples, and sometimes beet greens. It seems that a good variety of food is healthy for all.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

I enjoy garlic in our cooking, but I must admit to not using the other leafy greens. I need to be on the lookout for them when we shop tomorrow.

Elkes Lebensglück said...

very interesting, I already knew a lot, but I have to buy more of the things again!
Greeting Elke

My name is Erika. said...

The only one I've heard was a super food is garlic. I am going to have to eat more of the others. Happy Friday!

DeniseinVA said...

Another interesting read, learned a few things here. Thanks so much :)

peppylady (Dora) said...

I had never tried watercress. Although I like to use little parsley in my egg salad sandwich.
Coffee is on

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I love parsley and garlic, but seaweed never makes it this far inland. At least I've never seen it here, although you can buy it in many places on the west coast (of the US).

Margaret D said...

Good article to read.
Lover of parsley in the food, grew some over winter and it's flourishing at the moment.

sandy said...

parlely has calcium - wow. good to know - we have that a lot...

always learn something here. thanks

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info, that's truly informative.

I like all those foods you've listed.

baili said...

thank you for useful sharing dear Jan !

garlic is something must in our everyday dish here thankfully no matter what it is

i love adding parsley at the end when dish is cooked ,sometime we add it when it is almost cooked though ,i adore it's flavor
watervress i use rarely

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

I do enjoy using garlic, some of the others listed have been overlooked.
Great info, thanks for sharing. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy weekend!

Iris Flavia said...

Never knew of beetroot leaves, thank you, interesting article.

Martha said...

An interesting and informative post! Thank you.

Jenn Jilks said...

What a great read!
I'm pretty set in my ways in terms of food! It's good to learn, though.

Pom Pom said...

Hi Jan! Good to know! I've never been drawn to beets, but maybe I'd like the greens. Watercress? Wow! I'll look for some when I go to the store. Thank you! God be with you!

Divers and Sundry said...

Confession: I don't eat any of these. I'll look into adding something. Thx!

Sue said...

How interesting, I love beetroot but have never eaten the leaves, I'll have to give them a try. Take care and have a great weekend, Sue xx

Conniecrafter said...

It is good to know that crushing the garlic is better for you!

Jeanie said...

We don't see cress here all that much -- it's hard to find but I really love it and I'm glad to know of its extra values!