SUPERFOODS! What they are and what to do with them

Have you ever heard of a superfood?  Sounds exciting eh? Spring time is such a great time to start purchasing some of these superfoods and also a perfect time to start growing your own.


There are superfoods that just intimidate me like seaweed and sea vegetables. Can you imagine the look on Dan's face if I told him we were having seaweed wrapped artichokes? Not to knock those kinds of superfoods but I am an economical realist and if I have to make a special trip to purchase 1 item from a special food store 20 minutes away, FORGET ABOUT IT! I want food I can buy from any grocery store at an affordable price.

Yes, there was a time in my past life when bumming around an organic market loaded with smells of essential oils and rosemary mint body wash while sampling delicious olives from Brazil and adoring the many variety of free-range meat and eggs was at the top of my to-do list, but things change. I'm that married lady on a budget who has 2 appetites and taste preferences to think about in addition to a full time music studio to run! Goodbye vegan footwear-cruiser bikes-and biodegradable toothbrushes and hello sneaking superfoods into Dan's dinner. That's my life.  I am very happy.

So here is the superfoods for spring article that I found. For time saving purposes, here's the condensed version right here.

1. Artichokes
2. Asparagus
3. Avocado
4. Blueberries
5. Fava beans
6. Fresh figs
7. Leeks
8. Oregano and other fresh herbs
9. Spinach
10. Strawberries

Not a bad list to pick from this spring huh!

Artichokes- extremely low in calories, only 25 in an entire artichoke! the USDA has ranked artichokes as the fresh vegetables with the highest amount of antioxidants (Those things that protect your body from free-radicals, which are those things that damage your cells and cause cancer) How to prepare? Yeah, google that. As for me, the giant bottle of artichoke hearts at costco works nicely.

Asparagus- the vegetable with the most anti-cancer nutrients. Totally trying This recipe- roasted asparagus with orange and tofu? YUM! I eat asparagus more than any other veggie.

Avocado- contains a huge amount of the good fat that lowers cholesterol! So delicious to soups, salads, or atop a lovely Wasa cracker. I ate these all the time in France on bread. Mmmm....

Blueberries- wild blueberries have insane cancer fighting abilities. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C. They are so easy to incorporate into your diet- smoothies, oatmeal, salads, it's a snap! I buy the huge bag at costco and eat them everyday when I'm not on medifast. I miss them...

Fava beans- Major fiber. If you don't know what fiber is good for, well, ask your doctor. So easy to add beans to soups and salads or to puree into an awesome dip. Heck, combine avocado AND fava beans for an even better dip!

Fresh, yes FRESH figs- they have the highest content of minerals of ALL common fruits. Plus they are high in fiber. Fresh figs are a a true delicacy and must be eaten right away. They spoil quickly and are not easy to ship so they are probably hard to find in most places but if you are lucky enough to find them, buy them, no matter the cost- they burst in your mouth and are unlike anything you've ever eaten!

Leeks- they are the obvious de-tox food. From the same family as garlic and and onions, leeks are one of those foods that just help eliminate toxins and protect against cancer. They are more subtle than onions and are delicious. They make delicious broth for soups. Lots of online resources about cooking leeks but if you've never seen one,  here you go! And a recipe for leeks and linguine with lemon zest!

Oregano- the stuff you add to spaghetti sauce right? Fresh herbs are so amazing. Fresh basil, dill, oregano, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, chives.....oh I could go on and on and on. So easy to add to any recipe. They are all packed with their own little cocktail of health benefits but oregano is loaded with antioxidants, even more than apples!

Spinach- You all know what spinach is and how to eat it, right? It is super affordable and can be eaten raw, steamed, sauteed, etc. I enjoy adding it to smoothies in the morning. Anything GREEN like spinach will give you so many important phytonutrients, but spinach is full of fiber, antioxidants, folate, and iron. It protects again strokes, cancer, and losing your eye-sight! Seriously, If you aren't eating spinach once a day, it's time. No more excuses. Costco sells a giant bag for like $3.49 that will last for many, many days.

Strawberries- Ah, bliss! Strawberries need no explanation except to remind you that they are loaded with antioxidants and are a low-glycemic index fruit that you can enjoy without the worries of raised blood sugar. So delicious right from the carton, sliced in cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, and pretty much anything with the word dessert. This spinach and strawberry salad recipe is making my mouth water right now.

If you don't have a backyard or space for a garden, you can start gardening in containers right now. It's the perfect time to start your garden from seeds. You should start your seeds about 8 weeks before you would put them outside, which just happens to be now!

I am not an expert in gardening but I have learned a few things-



2. Start saving yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, etc. containers to use for little pots! I just found 5 little pots at the Dollar tree a couple weeks ago AND big bags of potting mix! Who knew? Dollar tree potting mix? My little plants are just loving it.

3. Ideally, you would have one of those plant lights that help your plants grow, but I don't have one of those so I keep them by the window and in the evening I put a regular lamp over them because they need more light than you would think while they are growing. Without adequate light, they will get tall and spindly and eventually kill over.

4. Don't over water. Just leave them alone and keep the soil just damp to the touch.

5. Seeds are not necessarily the easiest way to start a garden...many of my plants from seeds never made it to the garden outside, but I'm giving it another shot! I almost ALWAYS start everything from seeds myself and then buying half of my garden from the nursery in May. It's ok. It's hard!

6. Do yourself a favor and learn about gardening before you start. Go to the library and get a book to help you figure out how to increase your chances of a successful garden. That way you won't be totally confused about why your plants might die when you put them outside too soon.

7. I saw the COOLEST thing on Cottage Hill blog, where she used newspapers to make little pots that you start your seeds in and then just put the whole newspaper pot in the ground when you transfer them to your garden. Definitely trying that one.