Five cheap superfoods every kitchen should have
What you need to know:
- At only 75 calories, eggs are one of the best nutritional bargains around.
- There seems to be an array of expensive grains with so-called super-food status in supermarkets these days, from amaranth and sorghum, to chickpea — but there is one inexpensive one you should have: Oats.
EGGS
At only 75 calories, eggs are one of the best nutritional bargains around. They are packed with quality protein and are a top dietary source of choline, an essential vitamin that has been shown to promote brain health. They are also packed with lutein and zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants which have been shown to enhance eye health.
Do remember that most of the vitamin and minerals in eggs are stored in its yolks, so if you are only eating the whites to keep your weight down, you are really going to miss out. Just stick to no more than 10 whole eggs a week and eat them boiled or poached rather than fried.
Frying them will put your cholesterol up.
OATS
There seems to be an array of expensive grains with so-called super-food status in supermarkets these days, from amaranth and sorghum, to chickpea — but there is one inexpensive one you should have: Oats.
The simple rolled oats you can buy are full of essential minerals like immune-boosting zinc, magnesium, and iron as well as protective antioxidants called flavonoids that have been shown to reduce disease-causing inflammation in the body.
But the best thing about oats is the kind of fibre they have: Soluble fibre. Not only does this sort of fibre help sweep cholesterol out of the body, it also helps to keep blood sugar from rising too quickly, a great buy for diabetics.
SWEET POTATOES
Beta carotene is the name of the potent antioxidant that gives this vegetable its orange hue.
Not only has beta carotene been shown to help every cell in the body stay healthy, it is a great skin nutrient.
Studies have shown that it can help to neutralise wrinkle damage from the sun and helps generate new, healthy glowing skin cells.
Sweet potatoes are also loaded with masses of figure-friendly fibre and energising B-vitamins. Bake them whole or mash them — a delicious and healthy treat for the whole family.
SUKUMA
There are few foods quite as good as this leafy green. Not only is sukuma full of vitamins, minerals, and health-enhancing antioxidants, it is also packed with fibre, bone-building calcium, and even some heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
What is more, sukuma has been shown to help support the body’s natural detoxification system, ridding the body of harmful compounds that are thought to cause cancer, heart disease, and other serious ailments.
No wonder it is a Kenyan staple!
MANGO
Whether you peel it and cut into slices, blend it with a carton of plain yoghurt for a tasty smoothie, or serve it as a salad together with sliced avocado and red onion with a squeeze of lime, mangoes really are the best fruits around.
They are crammed with immune-boosting vitamin C, antioxidant vitamin A (in its plant form, beta-carotene), potassium, and fibre, not to mention the healing power you get from its wealth of phenols and plant compounds.
The writer is a clinical nutritionist and certified by the Nutritional Therapy Council in the UK. Please direct any questions about family nutrition to her on [email protected]
