After completing two university degrees in health and nutrition and working in the field for more than fifteen years all I can say is that I have my own list of superfoods. And while they may not always appear on the latest and greatest superfoods list, they have plenty of positive properties that we should not be forgetting any time soon.
Olive Oil
While we hear much about the wonders of coconut oil, the truth is that when it comes to looking at the research that supports the health benefits of any particular oil, you cannot go past olive oil. Great for the skin, with exceptionally high levels of powerful antioxidants that help to protect our cells from damage and as an addition to any meal to help boost satiety fullness, olive oil has one of the highest proportions of mono-unsaturated fat and lowest proportion of saturated fat of all the cooking oils available. Often considered a poor choice for cooking at high temperatures, the truth is the high quality of olive oil means that it can be used in most dishes with the exception of deep frying, as well as used as a flavoursome dressing. The fresher the olive oil, the higher the antioxidant content so replace your olive oil every 2-3 months. Also keep in mind that ‘light’ varieties are not lighter in fat or calories and spray varieties lack the nutrient quality of fresh oil. Research suggests including as much as two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil each day will help you to reap the many health benefits.
Cottage cheese
Often forgotten, humble cottage cheese is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can enjoy. With a hearty serve of more than 16g of protein per half cup along with calcium, magnesium and Vitamin B12, adding a serve of cottage cheese into your day is a great way to bump up your intake of essential nutrients for very few calories. When you consider that more than four million Australians have osteopenia, or a low bone density, eating calcium rich foods on a daily basis needs to be a priority throughout our adult lives. Enjoy with fruit as a high protein breakfast, on crackers as a filling snack or mix into dips or add to salads for a significant protein boost.
Beetroot
The rich, bright colour and texture of beetroot give you some idea of how chock full of nutrition this vegetable really is. Beetroot contains a number of extremely powerful antioxidants known to support cell health and with minimal calories per serve, is a daily must to include in your diet. Roast and add to salads, juice for a tasty mixed vegetable juice or grate and keep handy as an addition to sandwiches, crackers, dips and pates. Recent research also confirmed the high levels of nitric oxide in beetroot helps to improve blood flow and shots of concentrated beetroot juice have also been shown to improve cycling performance in sprint events.
Legumes
Legumes or beans have made somewhat of a comeback in recent years with cannellini, kidney and borlotti beans featuring regularly in a range of cuisines including Mexican, Italian and Lebanese. All beans are extremely nutritious containing a mix of low glycaemic index carbohydrates, dietary fibre and protein; their relatively high protein content making them a popular meat substitute for vegetarians. The soluble fibre found in beans has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels and beans also contain high levels of B-group vitamins, iron, calcium, phosphorous, zinc and magnesium as well as folate. While legumes are often used as the base of meals for vegetarians, beans can also be used in range of meals including mince, soups and salads for extra bulk and an extra nutrition hit. And best of all, legumes are extremely cheap, making them a most economical addition to any meal.
Eggs
You will be hard pressed to find a more nutritionally complete, useful food than the humble egg. Packed with protein, key nutrients including zinc as well as 20 other vitamins and minerals, eggs can easily be incorporated into any meal and prepared in minutes. Whether they are enjoyed for breakfast on wholegrain toast, added to sandwiches or salads at lunchtime or whipped into a quick frittata or omelet, eggs are the number one fridge food by far. And before you get too concerned about the cholesterol content of eggs, keep in mind that it is not cholesterol but saturated fat that increases blood cholesterol levels and 1-2 eggs each day will not have adverse effects on blood cholesterol when consumed as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.
Brazil Nuts
Not as commonly consumed as almonds and walnuts, Brazil nuts can be thought of as a forgotten superfood. Brazil nuts have an exceptionally high amount of selenium, the mineral that plays a crucial role for the thyroid and optimal antioxidant functioning in the body. In fact, studies have shown that adding in a single Brazil nut into the daily diet is enough the raise the blood levels of selenium. Brazil nuts are also extremely rich in vitamin E, copper, magnesium and zinc. While a diet rich in selenium is related to a reduced risk of some types of cancer, including prostate and gastric cancers, supplementation of high amounts of selenium is contraindicated, and for this reason, natural dietary sources of selenium and vitamin E are preferable. As such, adding a couple of Brazil nuts into any nut mix makes total dietary sense.
.Oysters
While they may be an acquired taste, oysters are another seafood option only served on special occasions or ordered when fine dining. This is a shame as nutritionally the benefits of oysters cannot be overstated. Oysters are one of the richest dietary sources of zinc, with just one providing an adult with almost their entire daily requirement for the mineral. Fresh oysters are high in protein, low in calories and a good source of calcium making them a great entree or pre dinner appetiser in place of high calorie, high fat dips, crackers, potato chips and cheese. Another far less frequently considered option is smoked oysters. Available in oil and water options, smoked oysters do contain slightly more sodium than fresh oysters, but can still be a nutrient rich snack in between meals or on canapés even if it does feel as though you are taking a trip back to the 1970s. The only thing to be mindful of is that adding creamy sauces such as Kilpatrick will bump up both the fat and calorie content of your oysters and for this reason oysters are always best consumed raw or if smoked, in plain barbecue sauce or spring water.
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