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Super Foods R Super Cool
(KidZone version)
Isn't all food super? Well... no. Super foods are whole plants like garlic. sweet potatoes, and lemons. They're Food Heroes in your body and brain. I think of them as top-dogs, making sure that humans can live a healthy and long life (and not visit the doctor's office much). I'm having a love affair with food heroes and adore cooking with these powerful plants. Like, a lot.
Sometimes, learning new stuff... like food science maybe feels kinda challenging. Everything that's new to us can feel difficult. Then, our efforts over time make new things easier, right? The foods below are my favorite Greatest Hits of Food. I've added a few nutrition factoidz, as well as dishes we eat made with these food heroes. Please consider loving them, too!
ON THIS PAGE:
21 Favorite Food Heroes: green leafies / avocados / garlic / berries / lentils / sweet potatoes / lemons / cruciferous veg / tomatoes / quinoa / parsley / dates / apples / turmeric / hulled barley / mushrooms / flax* / raw walnuts* / cabbage / steel-cut oats / beans / Taste + Temperature + Texture
meet my favorite food heroes
GREEN LEAFIES: Packed with iron, calcium, protein, magnesium, vitamins A + C and more. Spinach, kale, arugula, romaine. In salads, smoothies, and spinach + artichoke dip.
AVOCADOS: Packed with healthy unsaturated fat, fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin E. Plant-based guacamole, dips, and on salads and sandos are delish.
GARLIC: Packed with allicin (antioxidant), which helps get rid of bad cholesterol and fights off the flu. Garlic is an aromatic, so it can be added to just about everything. Ever tried skordalia?
BERRIES: Packed with many antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin C. Blueberry + oat cookies, berry-chia pudding, mixed berry nice-cream, and smoothies are berry delish.
LEMONS: Packed with vitamins C, B 6, and B 9, and potassium. Add lemon juice to tea, salad dressing, smoothies, and just about any dish. Add lemon zest to cookie dough.
LENTILS: Packed with protein (even MORE than a steak), calcium, iron, fiber, and vitamin B9. Add lentils to soups and salads. Home-sprouted lentils are fun, nutrish, and delish.
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CRUCIFEROUS VEG: Packed with vitamins A and C, minerals, fiber, and a crazy-nutritious chemical called glucosinolate. Try cauliflower "rice" and roasted turnips.
SWEET POTATO: Packed with vitamin A, minerals, and fiber (they make us smart, too). Mashed or baked sweet potatoes, and plant-based sweet potato pie are delish.
TOMATOES: Packed with lycopene (antioxidant), vitamins C and K, and potassium. Salsa, pizza sauce, plant-based tomato soup, shakshouka tomatoes, and raw as a snack are delish.
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QUINOA: It's pronounced like KEEN-WAH. Packed with fiber and all 9 essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Delish as a side dish or in salads and plant-based burgers.
PARSLEY: Packed with vitamins A, B 9, C, and K, antioxidants, iron, calcium, and magnesium. Pesto, chimichurri sauce, in dips, and as a garnish are delish.
DATES: Packed with many of the B vitamins, calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and fiber. Instead of sugar, use date syrup or chopped dates in recipes.
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APPLES: Packed with vitamins C and K, potassium, antioxidants, and fiber. Add apples to salads, sandwiches, soups, salsa, salad dressing, applesauce, and baking recipes.
TURMERIC: Packed with antioxidants and helps make inflammation go away. This is a powder made from a root - add it to everything. (note: it can stain fingers and clothes)
HULLED BARLEY: Packed with beta-glucan (a kind of fiber), vitamins B 1 and B 3, selenium, and magnesium. Barley-lentil soup, in salads, and as a side dish are delish.
MUSHROOMS: Packed with B vitamins, iron, selenium, and fiber. Plant-based mushroom soup, as a side dish, and stuffed are delish (don't eat them raw). They're a fungus, not a veggie.
CABBAGE: A member of the cruciferous family, packed with vitamins C and K, potassium, and antioxidants. Plant-based cole slaw, in tacos, and stuffed cabbage are delish
FLAX*: Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and lignans (antioxidant). Add flax meal to soups, sauces, oatmeal, smoothies, and as an egg substitute for baking.
STEEL-CUT OATS: Packed with beta-glucan, vitamin B 1, iron, zinc, antioxidants, and manganese. Steel-cut or groats for oatmeal and rolled for cookie dough are delish.
RAW WALNUTS*: Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, magnesium, vitamin B6, antioxidants, and iron. Add to oatmeal, dips, salads, and cookie dough.
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BEANS: Packed with protein, fiber, vitamins B 6 and B 9, magnesium, iron, potassium, and antioxidants. Soups, chili, burritos, tacos, cassoulet, and hummus are delish.
BONUS:
There are five words on this page in italics. What are these foods and where are they originally from?
GUACAMOLE / SKORDALIA / SHAKSHOUKA / CHIMICHURRI / CASSOULET
FOR GROWN-UPS