There’s been a great deal written about superfoods in recent years. The term ‘superfood’ is really a marketing term used to describe a group of foods which are considered to offer the body a range of health benefits. They aren’t new foods, it’s just new language to talk about foods that have been around for a long time.

Are superfoods really super?

There’s no regulated definition of a superfood. Superfoods are those foods which are so nutritionally dense they can prevent or cure disease – therefore that is their superpower.

Obviously there are millions of people who would disagree with this, but there’s no doubting the nutrients super-food based diets contain, so those in favour of superfoods, have simply looked in depth at what is in each superfood and what it’s potential is in the body.

It’s really just the language of talking about the foods that are considered to be the best for us – the foods which are ‘super’ and there is nothing wrong with that.

Which foods are considered to be ‘super’?

It depends what you read and where you look. In some places you’ll find a list of 12, some places 25, or even the top 100 superfoods. It’s really just up to you to read and decide for yourself, but generally the ones that come up on all the lists are:

• Coconut Oil
• Avocado
• Flax Seeds
• Cacao
• Dark leafy greens
• Gogi
• Bluberries
• Acai
• Tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Garlic
• Apples
• Chia seeds
• Green Tea
• Honey
• Dark chocolate
• Hemp seeds

Of course you could go on, depending on which list you consult, but these are some of the popular ones.

How can you get superfoods into your diet?

Obviously in an ideal world we would consume all of these on a regular basis in their raw state, in order to get the most out of them, but that’s not always how life works is it.

If you are a coffee drinker you could try melting coconut oil into it and frothing it. I’m told that’s really good. I melt it into hot chocolate for the children and it’s the only oil I use for cooking and the only fat I use when baking.

Avocados I think you either love them or hate them, but you can try halving them and cracking an egg into them and baking for 20 minutes – that’s delicious!

If you can’t get your family to tuck into green leafy vegetables then you could be sneaky and add powdered greens to the meals you cook. I add chia seeds and flax seeds to a whole range of family meals such as curries and bolognese, and I’ve recently been throwing in some broccoli powder as well. No one has a clue it’s in there, but I’m happy they are all getting the goodness they need.

Shakes and smoothies are a good way to add a whole host of nutrients and go undetected as well. Perhaps you want to boost your own protein shakes, or maybe it’s milkshakes or smoothies for the children. You can add all sorts of powdered superfoods to shakes and smoothies with ease.

I really like this Super Blends Mixed Berry Protein Powder, as well as pea protein and hemp protein, this blend features superfoods such as moringa and chlorella – but of course you could add things like spinach powder, chia seeds and so on to boost it even further.

Baking is another way to get superfoods into your tribe. What about super healthy but delicious chocolate brownies?

Our children love to bake and they loved baking and then eating these brownies which we made with a Paleo Brownie Mix. All we added to this was coconut oil and eggs. Often free-from mixes are very dry and crumbly but this one was not at all. The brownies, were light, chocolatey and so tasty.

You can find all of these and so many more superfoods over at Yumbles Artisan Food Market. What are your thoughts on superfoods?

This is a collaborative post.