New superfoods are always popping up and getting plenty of media attention. As of late, the Pomegranate was in focus, then came along Goji berries and now acclaimed Acai berry. What is a superfood? By definition, a superfood is a term to describe any food that has “remarkable” health properties (antioxidant rich foods). Make way for the new wave of superfoods which will soon be found in our beverages, yogurts, ice creams, etc. Here are the newest superfoods making an appearance in a grocery store near you!
Muscadine grapes
While they look like typical purple grapes, Muscadine grapes are a little larger and thicker and pack more nutrition than your standard grape. One particular benefit comes from the powerful antioxidant, Resveratrol (also found in red wine). Resveratrol has been linked to lowering blood-sugar levels, contains strong anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties (lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease). Currently, these berries are hard to come by so I take the Resveratrol supplement on a daily basis: Puritan's Pride Quality Vitamins
Maqui Berry
I am a huge Food Network fan and I had heard Rachel Ray briefly mention this berry on her cooking show. This sparked me to look into this berry further. Maqui berry is the highest ranked food on the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity scale (ORAC). This test measures the antioxidant potency of foods. Just to put things into perspective: Blueberry juice has an ORAC score of 3,000 and Macqui juice has an ORAC score of 40,000! Due to the high antioxidants in this berry, it is believed to rid the body in toxins and possibly help with weight control. Macqui berry has been used in traditional medicine to help symptoms of sore throat, diarrhea and treat ulcers.
Acerola
Acerola is also known as Amazon or Barbados cherries. I’ve seen Acerola really making headway in grocery stores already. This fruit contains 40 times more vitamin C than an orange and in a test comparing it’s antioxidants to 11 other fruits, the acerola came out on top. In July 2008, Absolut Vodka came out with a limited-edition vodka containing acerola mixed with blueberries, acai and pomegranate. You’ll likely encounter this berry in desserts and preserves.
Baobob Fruit
Grown in Australia, Africa or Madagascar, this superfood seems to have it all: Iron, Vitamin C, Calcium, (2x the amount found in milk), protein in it’s seeds, phosphorus for bones, fiber and a slew of electrolytes. This fruit was just recently approved for export and has recently been used in drinks, yogurt, as well as a thickener for soups.
This odd looking fruit also comes from one odd-looking tree, seen here:
Be on the look-out for these new superfoods and here’s to your health!
exciting! i love trying new superfoods. thanks for all the info – i’m excited to see them around.
also – is that the tree from the little prince? it’s a real tree? i didn’t know that – and i definitely didn’t know it had fruit! fun!
Hey Car! Yeah, its crazy looking but also pretty fascinating. This tree can store up to 30,000 gallons of water (in the large trees), which nomadic people take advantage of…sometimes it is their only source for water. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hey, which superfoods go best for blender recipes? I love the acai smoothie at Robek’s, but was wondering which other fruits can be used for a healthy smoothie treat. Thanks!
Delightful!
I have a seaberry (available from One Green World) & used the fruit, which is bright orange, high in C, A & E, & tart, in my pumpkin smoothies this fall – yum!! It’s grown in N Europe (esp Russia, Germany, & Ubekistan) for its antioxidents.
I also used some of my crabapples (~ raisin size) in the smoothie – once they’re soft, they sweeten up a bit = & are great blended with the pumpkin, coconut yogurt & coconut milk!
I also got a second Akebia this spring, hoping it will cross polinate with one I already had, & produce fruit. A (massage) client who recently visited family in Bulgaria told me she’d met a scientist who’s been studying Akebia, & gave her some info on its properties – said it’s another with antioxidents off the charts!
Always fun to find/try new fruit!
Dia — Thanks for this blurb. I haven’t ever heard of such superfoods. I am excited to try some of them!
Blender Recipes -
Thanks for reading and the comment!
You can use all of these fruits to make a blender recipe. Here is a recipe using acerola:
1 banana
1 large kiwi
1 orange (pulp optional)
2 oz. acerola juice
6 cubes of ice or 1/2 cup plain yogurt
Wheat grass smoothies are becoming evermore popular. Try the following recipe using a blender. Note: You need to first juice the the wheatgrass properly before making the smoothie in the blender. The fibers in the wheatgrass can hurt your stomach lining if you blend the actual grass.
Recipe:
* 1 handful of wheat grass (juiced)
* 1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
* 1/3 cup frozen blueberries
* 1 handful of fresh spinach
* 2 cups soy milk
* ½ cup plain yogurt
Cheers!
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