With a busy schedule and lack of adequate meal planning, it becomes easy to overlook vital nutrients we should be getting from our diet. Sure you can pop a few supplements in pill form and call it a day, but why not opt for some of nature’s most nourishing foods instead? I’ve gotten in the habit of keeping these six “superfoods” forever stocked in my kitchen. Each has a distinctive taste. I’ll add the most appropriate one to nearly every meal for an extra boost of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
SPIRULINA
This one is definitely my least favorite when it comes to taste. But with an antioxidant content equivalent to 3–4 servings of fruits and vegetables in one teaspoon of this blue-green algae powder, I’m willing to endure it. With all the essential amino acids, spirulina is a complete protein, approximately 67% by weight.
The exact nutritional content of spirulina may vary by brand so I’m giving the values of Earthrise Spirulina Natural, which I use. In one serving there is 30 mg of chlorophyll, a plant pigment that helps remove toxins from the blood and boosts immunity. The same serving size offers 160% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 100% as beta-carotene, thus promoting healthy eyes and skin. It’s also a great source of iron, vitamin K, and gamma linolenic acid (GLA).
MACA
A favorite among smoothie enthusiasts, maca powder comes from the maca plant, native to the Andes Mountains of Peru. It’s a wonderful source of amino acids, including the eight essential amino acids; phytonutrients; fatty acids; vitamins; and minerals. With half of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C in one tablespoon, maca powder offers a great boost for the body’s immune system. Along with ginseng, this nutrient-dense food has been classified as an adaptogen, a metabolic regulator, which increases one’s ability to adapt to stress.
Maca has a bit of a reputation for being an aphrodisiac, increasing stamina and sex drive for both men and women. Heightened energy, improved mental clarity, and overall wellness? Yes, please! FYI, its nutrients are compromised at high temps. So with a flavor similar to malt, it’s ideal in smoothies, puddings, and raw desserts.
CHIA SEEDS
Word on the web is that “chia” is the ancient Mayan term for “strength,” aptly named because the indigenous people would sustain themselves for an entire day on only 1–3 tablespoons of chia seeds and some water. One ounce (approximately 2 tablespoons) has 4 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. All that fiber is what gives chia seeds the ability to absorb 10–12 times their weight in water, helping you stay full and serving as an excellent cooking ingredient, e.g., to thicken sauces or replace eggs (1 Tbsp chia seeds + 1/3 cup water = 1 egg).
Ounce for ounce, chia seeds have five times as many omega-3s as salmon. Before you count this as a big win for vegans, you should know that chia seeds are high in the omega-3 fatty acid ALA but do not contain EPA or DHA as fish oils do. The body can convert ALA to the beneficial fatty acids EPA and DHA (think healthy brain function). However, the efficiency with which it does so varies in each person depending on certain lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, stress, and poor diet. Genetic factors may also prevent adequate conversion. Non-fish-eating peeps, like vegans, can help maintain the proper balance of these essential fatty acids by lowering their intake of omega-6s, which compete with omega-3s for the same enzymes.
Chia seeds are also high in nutrients that contribute to bone health—calcium, manganese, and magnesium—and they’re a good source of antioxidants and iron. Their taste is bland so throw them in anything and everything, cooked or raw.
FLAXSEED
Flaxseed’s claim to fame is that in comparison with other plant foods, it by far has the highest content of phytonutrients called lignans. It has also been ranked as the number one source of omega-3s among the 100+ World’s Healthiest Foods. In a 2-tablespoon serving, it offers about 130% of the daily recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids! Other nutrients it contains in high concentrations are protein, fiber, vitamin B1, copper, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Another notable benefit of flaxseed, due to a unique component called mucilage, is that it improves nutrient absorption in the digestive tract. This gel-forming fiber acts by preventing food in the stomach from emptying too quickly into the small intestine. Because the primary nutrients found in flaxseed have been shown to reduce the risk of oxidative stress and inflammatory damage in the body, dietary flaxseed may play an important role in cardiovascular health and cancer prevention.
Cool. So how can you incorporate flaxseed into your diet? With a mild, nutty flavor, ground flaxseed can be added to smoothies; sprinkled on hot or cold cereal; tossed in a salad; baked in muffins, cookies, or bread; and mixed with cooked vegetables. And it can be used as a vegan egg substitute! One tablespoon of ground flaxseed and three tablespoons of water is equivalent to one egg. Blend until the mixture is thick and creamy.
HEMP HEARTS
Raw shelled hemp seeds, aka hemp hearts, have a subtle, nutty taste that makes them a perfect addition to almost any dish (think salads, cereal, yogurt, smoothies, soups, and pasta). A three-tablespoon serving has 10 grams of highly digestible, high-quality protein; three grams of fiber; and 10 grams of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in an ideal ratio, including 450 mg of the less common but much needed gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA has wonderful beautifying benefits: supporting hormone balance and promoting healthy hair, skin, and nails. Other nutrients found in hemp hearts in substantial quantities are iron, thiamine, vitamin B6, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and manganese.
HEMP PROTEIN
Last but not least on today’s list of superfood favorites is hemp protein powder. For the last couple years, I’ve been using Manitoba Harvest’s Organic Hemp Pro Fibre. In the beginning, I would drink it with almond milk only, trying to adhere to the rules of proper food combining, which suggest that protein and fruit should not be mixed together (I’ll have to explain more about that in a future post). The taste and texture are not at all like the more popular, sugary protein powders. Hemp protein has an earthy flavor and gritty texture. If consumed in this way, it might take some getting used to. Now I throw it in smoothies and it’s hardly noticeable.
There are two big advantages of hemp protein over non-vegan protein powders such as whey. First, because it’s easily digestible, you won’t get the common, highly undesirable side effect of whey—flatulence. Second, without the artificial sweeteners, it’s much healthier. In a four-tablespoon serving, you get 11 grams of protein, 13 grams of fiber, 2100 mg of omega-6s, 600 mg of omega-3s, and a third of your daily recommended intake of iron.
So don’t worry. Sticking with vegan foods only does not mean that you will be skimping on important nutrients. With a little patience and persistence, you’ll learn your body’s needs and become familiar with plenty of great options to satisfy them.