I probably don’t have the best diet. I do eat vegetables, but I also have a deep and undying love of junk food. I crave things like french fries, pizza, burgers, and chicken fingers – basically anything that a five-year-old would be happy to eat. Grease and salt are my undoing.

But I do want to live a happy, healthy life. And I know that diet plays a big part in that. So I was interested when a few of my coworkers recently attended a lecture on “superfoods.” These are foods that pack a big nutritional punch. They tend to be high in vitamins, antioxidants, and other beneficial things.

What exactly are these superfoods? Well after searching around on the Internet, I have concluded that there is no definitive list. Everyone seems to have different ideas about the types of food that should be given this label. Some of these foods seem kind of strange and exotic. (Oprah’s website lists things like kefir and açai.) It’s all very intimidating to a non-foodie person like me.

And that leads me to my next question – how do I cook with these foods? I’m not a talented or inventive cook. I am in awe of people who can just “throw things together” and somehow make a delicious meal. (How do they do it?) I can cook, but I require a recipe – preferably one that spells everything out in exhaustive detail.

So just in case you’re in a similar situation, I wanted to share two links that I thought seemed helpful.

  • The first is a link to a list of non-intimidating superfoods. The items on this list are all pretty basic. They’re also fairly inexpensive – an added plus!
  • The second is a link to a website that has hundreds of recipes that involve the use of superfoods. The recipes include clear instructions and handy pictures (so you know what the dish is supposed to look like in the end).

Good luck! And good health!

http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2014/03/25/stretch-your-budget-and-boost-your-health-with-these-14-superfoods/

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/super-foods/main.aspx?e11=super%20foods&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&event8=1&prop24=SR_Showcase&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_showcase_1