What Are Superfoods?

This post was sponsored by Noble Juice.

What Are Superfoods?

Just what are superfoods, anyway?  Are they foods that wear capes and fly?

If so, I haven’t seen those in the grocery store… yet.

From the news coverage of superfoods, you’d think that (like the word “organic“) the definition of a superfood was firmly established.  Yet the definition varies from article to article, and some experts choose to eschew the label all together.

What’s a consumer to do?  Personally, when I don’t know the answer to a question like “What are superfoods?” the question keeps nagging at me until I find out the answer.  To save you the sleepless nights of wondering about superfoods and what you should do about them, I’ve done my homework so I can answer the question for you.

Superfood Definition

According to “What’s So Super About Superfoods?” by the American Heart Association, there are no standard criteria for superfoods, and no officially approved list of superfoods, either.  That means that the definition of superfood is subjective and is based on a perceived superiority of one food over another.

In the same article, Penny Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Penn., states:

“Eating ‘super foods’ won’t hurt you. Most are very healthy.  As a registered dietician, I’d like to see people eat more of the super foods like whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish, fatty fish and all fruits and veggies.”

So, what are superfoods, and where does that leave us?  Basically, they’re healthy foods that have received a lot of attention for being healthy.  There’s no official definition for “superfood,” and no official guidelines for which ones and how much of them you should eat.  However, since superfoods are (generally speaking) foods that are healthy for you, there’s no reason you can’t make them part of what you eat and drink.  You really can’t go wrong by adding healthy foods to your diet, whether they’re called “superfoods” or not.

Here are a few to get you started:

• Oranges & tangerines
• Berries (such as blueberries, strawberries, and many others)
• Flaxseed
• Spinach
• Kale
• Apples

And there are many more, too.  Go ahead and enjoy them!

Do you eat superfoods?