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List of Superfoods (or The Healthiest Foods You Can Eat)


Coined in the late 1990s, the term 'superfood' is commonly used by food bloggers and journalists to refer to berries, fruits, vegetables and other foods with proven health benefits and/or exceptionally high nutritional value. However, there is no scientific definition of what constitutes a superfood. This means that any superfood list is, at its best, a subjective selection of some the world's most nutrient-dense foods. Some widely recognized superfoods include pomegranates, kale, cranberries, aronia berries, maqui berries, Concord grapes, matcha green tea powder, garlic and turmeric root.

HealWithFood.org's List of Top Superfoods (see below) includes all of the above listed nutritional goodies, plus a whole bunch of other ancient and new super-nutritious foods. The purpose of this page is to make you familiar with some of the world's healthiest foods and to inspire you to expand your culinary horizons by incorporating some less well known nutritional heavyweights into your diet. If you're interested in learning more about the health benefits of any of the foods included in the charts, simply click on the name of the superfood and you will be directed to HealWithFood.org's in-depth article discussing the potential nutritional and medicinal properties of that food.

Note: Most authorities today agree that eating a varied, well-balanced diet that includes a lot of organically-grown produce is key to good health (for a continuous supply of ideas on how to keep your diet varied, visit the HealWithFood.org home page on a regular basis). This also means that eating excessive amounts of any specific food – no matter how nutritious or healthy it is – may do your body more harm than good.



Superberries

When it comes to the healthiest foods on the planet, many common (and some less common) berries are inarguably right there on top of the list. The healthiest berries are loaded with health-protecting polyphenols such as ellagic acid and/or quercetin. Blue and black superberries usually also contain high levels of anthocyanins, flavonoid pigments that have been associated with a whole host of health benefits. Here's a list of some of the most interesting superberries:

Superberries Chart

Superfruits

Everyone knows fruits are good for you, but some fruits are healthier than others. The following chart shows some top fruits you may want to include in your diet, plus links to in-depth articles discussing the potential health benefits of each fruit:




Superhero Legumes and Grains

When we think of superfoods, we often think of exotic foods, such as maqui berries or pomegranate fruits. But there are also a whole lot of common foods that contain exceptionally high levels of nutrients and phytochemicals. Take beans for example. These humble legumes are packed with B vitamins, molybdenum, fiber, and protein, and some of them have been shown to contain extremely high levels of flavonoids. Here are a few examples of super-healthy legumes and grains you might want to consider adding to your diet:

Ancient Grains

Top Bulb Vegetables and Roots

Our superfood list wouldn't be complete without bulb and root vegetables which grow underneath or very close to the ground where they can absorb high amounts of nutrients from the soil. In fact, some of the world's oldest medicinal foods – such as garlic or turmeric root – fall under this category. To learn all about the health benefits of some of the world's healthiest roots and bulbs, check out the links below.



Brassica Vegetables and Salad Greens

No question about it, the healthiest Brassica vegetables must be included in this superfood list. The most powerful vegetables of the Brassica genus are characterized by high levels of glucosinolates (pre-cursors to cancer-fighting isothiocyanates), vitamin C, folate, calcium, carotenoids, fiber, and vitamin K. Here's HealWithFood.org's pick of the healthiest Brassica vegetables and other green leafy vegetables, including a couple of super-nutritious salad greens and sprouts:

List of Superfoods

Top Seeds and Nuts

Seeds and nuts are rather high in calories, but the good news is, they are also some of the most concentrated natural sources of minerals and vitamins (particularly B complex vitamins). In addition, some seeds and nuts contain significant amounts of heart-hearty omega-3 fatty acids, making them a good source omega-3's for vegans and other people who cannot get their omega-3's from fish or shrimp. Here's our pick of the best seeds and nuts:



Other Superfoods

In addition to the superfoods listed above, there's a bunch of nutrient-dense, health-protecting foods that did not fit any of the food categories above:


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