I was starting to think that I may be a bit too lazy for superfoods.
I mean, I love the concept of a food that packs a whopping nutritional punch, but the truth is that it's not always convenient to go in search of the latest exotic new superfood.
Especially if it involves tracking down antioxidant-loaded berries [0] that are native to the jungles of the Amazon or southeast Asia.
So it was very refreshing to read the New York Times article 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating [1] and realize that I've got a lot of uncelebrated superfoods in my kitchen right now.
To be honest, some of these are more Clark Kent than superfood. But they're inexpensive, readily available and, for reasons that aren't entirely clear, very underappreciated.
Here's what I mean:
- Canned pumpkin. I've always a can or two stashed in my pantry, but it never occured to me to open a can, top with a little butter and cinnamon for a quick, healthy treat. It's loaded with fiber and immune-boosting vitamin A.
- Cinnamon. Not only a great topping for canned pumpkin, but it turns out that cinnamon may help [2] control blood sugar and cholesterol.
- Frozen blueberries. Granted, I'm more likely to buy a pint of fresh berries this time year, but it seems that the frozen cousins are *almost* as healthy.
- Sardines. Unlike salmon and tuna, sardines are low on the food chain (less mercury to worry about) and they aren't over-fished. They are also loaded with omega-3s [2], minerals and vitamin B.
- Cabbage. Who knew that coleslaw could be so much more than a classic sidedish? New research suggests that it might contain cancer-fighting compounds.