My Top 8 Superfoods

It seems that every day there's something new being deemed a "superfood." So within all the confusion, I decided to make my own select list of my top 10 personal favourites.

1. Avocado

 While people often shy away from avocados due to their high fat content, the fat in this creamy fruit is largely comprised of monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid has been associated with various health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Avocados also contain a host of other nutrients including vitamin E, carotenoids, B vitamins, flavonoids, and vitamin C. Just half of an avocado will supply you with 25-50% of your recommended daily folate! Avocados are also high in dietary fibre.


2. Raw Cacao

Whether you prefer powder or nibs, cacao is a nutritional superstar. Cacao is rich in minerals such as iron, copper, potassium, zinc, phosphates, and magnesium. Raw chocolate in return for health? Don't mind if I do.








3. Ginger

The flavonoids found in ginger root may help prevent cancer and even fight existing cancers. Ginger is also antibacterial, antifungal, an antioxidant, and is thought to reduce heart disease and cholesterol levels. Commonly used alongside lemon in teas, it is well known to help soothe discomfort associated with coughs and colds. Even though I'm mildly allergic to ginger, I can't help but have some in my fresh juices from time to time to reap the incredible benefits.





4. Medjool Dates

Dates have become such a staple in my house for making everything from raw vegan chocolate mousse to raw vegan carrot cake. Dates are an incredibly rich source of potassium and also contain other nutrients such as magnesium and iron. These are a fantastic natural sweetener if you're like me and prefer not to use refined sugar.





5. Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favourite sources of vegan protein, at 10-18%. Not only that, but it is considered a "complete protein," meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids. Quinoa is easy to digest and rich in fibre. It's also gluten free, meaning it makes a great substitute for those who cannot digest gluten-containing products. I often replace rice for quinoa in stir fries and in sushi.





6. Cashews

Ah, the humble cashew! They're such an important element of raw vegan desserts that I felt I just had to include them here. Cashews consist of about 45% oil, of which about 40% is monounsaturated oleic acid, and the remainder a combination of omega-6 and saturated oils. The protein content is also quite admirable at 14-20%. Not to mention the minerals they contain including phosphates, copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium. I'll sure keep eating those raw cheesecakes.



7. Buckwheat

Despite the name, buckwheat is not related to wheat . Buckwheat flour is a fantastic substitute for wheat flour in gluten free baking, and is one of my personal favourites! Buckwheat has a high protein content, is high in B vitamins and vitamin E, high in fibre, contains good amounts of iron, zinc, phosphates, and magnesium, and is balanced in all of the essential amino acids.






8.  Capsicum

There's always an organic capsicum lurking in the bottom of my fridge, which is just as well considering they're an incredibly potent source of vitamin C and carotenoids! Unfortunately, cooking reduces the vitamin C and antioxidant quantities in capsicums, so eat them fresh wherever you can. My favourite way to enjoy capsicum is in a quinoa sushi roll with some avocado to complement the crunchiness of the fresh capsicum.