Superfoods you should be eating right now with recipe

We’ve all heard the buzz word “superfood”. It’s all the rage right now. Different companies are finding exotic things to market as the next big thing, but what about good ole whole foods you can find right in your local grocery store? No need to go far to find some of the most powerful foods around. Here are some of my faves you should be eating right now including a powerhouse salad recipe you’ll love for Spring.

Dark Leafy Greens
Even though you may turn your nose up at those green vegetables, they are full of vitamins A, C, and K, and are full of fiber and calcium that you will protect you against various health conditions. Make sure you have a couple of servings of greens everyday if not at every meal! Try throwing kale or spinach in your morning smoothie.

Quinoa
We need complex carbohydrates for energy, brain function, good fiber, and who knew, protein. Yes whole grains are good sources of protein and quinoa happens to be the highest on the list. It has such a wonderful taste and texture. Quinoa is great just plain, served up as a grain salad, thrown into a batch of soup, made into croquettes, and even as a breakfast porridge. Get you some today!

Beans
Not only are they full of protein, beans are high in fiber and iron, and low in calories and fat unlike animal foods. All these things combined make beans a superfood that fights many health issues like blood sugar disorders, iron deficiency, and high cholesterol. To make them more digestible, soaked dried beans for 6-8 hours and cook with a piece of kombu (see sea vegetables below).

Sea Vegetables
See who? Sea vegetables, also known as seaweed, is packed with tons of trace minerals and good for you stuff like our friend Calcium. Think you need to eat dairy to get your calcium? Think again. Sea vegetables have more absorbable calcium than any dairy product. They also contain iodine, which is important for thyroid function. Their health benefits are immense, so try sneaking them into your diet. Look for arame, kombu, nori, wakame, dulse, and hijiki.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to sneak it as many superfoods as possible.

Superfood Kale Salad with Sweet Mustard Dressing

1 bunch kale, washed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup cooked white beans (from a can is fine)
Handful arame, soaked 5 minutes, then drained
Hemp seeds, as garnish

Sweet Miso Dressing:
1 small lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon yellow or white miso
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon maple or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Filtered water, as necessary

Preparation
Pull leaves from stalk of kale and tear into small pieces. Thinly slice the stalk. Place in a medium bowl. Blend dressing ingredients in blender or whisk by hand until smooth. Massage the kale with dressing for a couple of minutes. Stir in the rest of salad ingredients and allow to sit for 15 minutes while the flavors meld. Serve garnished with hemp seeds.

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