Nutriento uses superfoods in all the recipes without exception – you can find superfoods like pea protein powder, maca powder, blue spirulina and many more in all the veggie and fruity bowls, as well as in the fresh juices and smoothies. But what exactly are these superfoods and why do we use them so much?
What are superfoods?
There is no proper universal definition of the word superfood. There is also no set of criteria for establishing what is and what is not a superfood, but there is a general consensus that a superfood is a food – mostly derived from plants, but some fish and dairy as well – that has exceptional nutritional value and health benefits in comparison to other foods. For example, açaï berries are considered a superfood because they reportedly contain up to 10 times more antioxidants than blueberries.
Some of the qualities attributed to superfoods are high nutritional content, antioxidant properties, high fiber content, potential to prevent or even alleviate symptoms of diseases such as cancer, diabetes or cardiac issues. They are not however the only foods to base your diet on – balance is key and we recommend consuming a healthy balanced diet consisting of a variety of different foods.
The truth about these foods is that not enough research has been done to definitively prove the health claims associated with them. However, many of them have been used for centuries with these purposes and have a folk reputation as traditional remedies for all types of conditions. Maca root has for example been used in pre-colombian South America by indigenous population to increase vitality and sexual function in both animals and humans. What is more, it is well known that many plants such as lavender or chamomile have calming effects and teas made from dried leaves or flowers have been consumed as therapeutic remedies all over the world.
What superfoods do we use?
Our recipes follow a certain standard: the bowls are designed around a grain base and a superfood, with various fruit and veggies to complement them. Ginseng, maca powder, goji berries, baobab powder, ginkgo biloba, pea protein, blue spirulina, açaï, hemp powder are the ones that we use to enrich our products to give you more of the necessary nutrients in a delicious filling meal.
All of these ingredients have extra vitamins and minerals, which helps reach your recommended daily dose. Of course, consuming superfoods should not deter you from being proactive in seeking a balanced diet which contains foods from all the food groups.
There is no single food, not even a superfood, that can provide all the nutrition our body needs. Still, healthy dietary patterns have been found to reduce risk of certain diseases to an extent. This is the reason we use them in our meals. We want to encourage you to add as many healthy foods into your diet, so that you can hopefully establish a healthy eating pattern and actively make better meal choices.
So whether there are actual applicable uses for these substances in our diets or they are more likely just folklore, eating more berries is definitely not going to cause any harm, will it?
