Superfoods is a funny word I’m hearing a lot lately. I feel like I should be saying it like they say Superman with the dramatic emphasis {Suu-per-maan!}. According to Wikipedia, Superfoods “is a non-medical term popularized in the media to refer to foods that can have health-promoting properties and they may have an unusually high content of antioxidants, vitamins, or other nutrients.” Yes, please. I try to eat healthy but it doesn’t always happen. So, when I find something that’s yummy and is referred to as a Superfood, that’s a win-win.
I eat a salad almost every day. But salads can get boring and often don’t fill me up and I end up still hungry afterwards. Like wanting to eat a whole loaf of bread hungry. So I created this yummy mixture to go on my salads to help fill me up, add flavor, and – since most of them are Superfoods – add the nutritional benefits. Warning: my mixture will give your salad a different texture and you have to like a little crunch in your salad. I do, but it might not be for everyone. With that said, I usually go with whatever I have available for my salads: lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, shredded carrots {don’t love carrots so shredding is a more manageable way to eat them}, blue cheese crumbles, chick peas, and any other random ingredients I have in the fridge {grilled chicken, hard boiled eggs, veggies, apples, pears}. Once in a while I make a “recipe” salad – like this blackberry salad with chicken, goat cheese & candied pecans. Yum. Whatever your salad creation, this topping makes a great addition.
I picked the following ingredients mostly because I like how they taste. But as you can see, they also all pack a powerful nutritional punch. Mix 1/4 cup of each of the following ingredients together. Store in an airtight container. Then just sprinkle desired amount on to your salad {I add about 3 tablespoons on mine}.
dry roasted edamame – Loaded with protein, they also contain healthy amounts of fiber, protein and antioxidants.
roasted pumpkin seeds – A great source of zinc and various forms of vitamin E which is an antioxidant.
chopped pecans – Help to decrease total as well as LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increases HDL or “good cholesterol” levels in the blood. High in Vitamin E and antioxidants.
sliced almonds – Considered a Superfood, almonds are rich in B Vitamins (riboflavin) which boosts energy, Vitamin E, and Potassium which fights heart disease.
ground flax seed- The omega 3s in flaxseed may help reduce the inflammation that leads to asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches and osteoporosis. Flax seeds also fight heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.
ground wheat germ- Packed with B Vitamins (ie. folate) and fiber which is necessary for good blood sugar balance. Also controls cholesterol and promotes intestinal health and detoxification.
ground chia seeds – Always appears on the Superfoods list, it’s the most powerful seed. Contains protein, fiber and is known to help the immune system, fight disease and help with digestion.
dried cranberries – These contain a lot of sugar so I don’t put too many in my mixture, but studies show that dried cranberries retain many of the antioxidants of fresh cranberries. Plus they’re yummy.
I also used some of these ingredients and came up with a simple mixture to give smoothies an added boost: ground flax seed, ground wheat germ, ground chia seeds and I added ground oat bran to this mixture. I’m not a smoothie person – I wish I was – they just seem so cool and trendy and fun. But my husband loves them – drinks one almost every morning. He says this mixture is a great addition to his {cool, trendy, fun} smoothie. I added that part.
I hope you enjoyed my Suuu-per-fooods recipe and try it on your next salad. Or use the smoothie version and you’ll be wicked cool. I promise. Enjoy!
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