Superfood is one of the most common words in the food industry today, but have you ever stopped to think of where it originated? What was the first superfood? The answer may surprise you. It seems every time you turn around, a new superfood is on the market. What constitutes a superfood? Are they even worth the hype? Let’s find out.
The term superfood originates from a publication in 1918. During World War I, the USA began importing copious amounts of bananas. Yes, indeed, the first superfood was bananas. Nutritionists praise bananas for their versatility, nutrition, ease of digestion, and convenient natural packaging. Thus, bananas became a staple food for kids and adults alike. They remain a trusty health food to this day.
Bananas stake their claim with their high potassium content, but the benefits don’t stop there. The yellow fruit is full of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, both of which support immune health and metabolism. They also contain manganese, an essential mineral. Bananas are incredibly versatile, and it is easy to incorporate them into every meal of the day. From banana slices and peanut butter on toast, fried plantains, or even blended into vegan ice cream, bananas offer endless possibilities.
The second recorded superfood didn’t come for almost 73 years, and just like the first, they are quite common. The US government endorsed blueberries as an incredibly nutritious food in 1991. The king of antioxidants, blueberries are known to offer a whole host of benefits from those properties alone. They also boast several essential vitamins and minerals, yet they are low in calories.
From that point on, hundreds of foods were dubbed superfoods, some that many of us keep in the fridge on a daily basis. Others are so exotic no one has ever heard of them before companies announce them as the newest miracle cure. And that’s the thing about superfoods. Often marketing embellishes these foods as something more than they are.
Marketing has discovered that people are more likely to buy and spend more on products labeled as superfoods. This ploy implies that consuming one of these foods very rarely or even just once will “fix” their health. Whether this comes in the form of curing or preventing disease, or miraculous weight loss, people believe small amounts of superfood can change their lives.
While that would be incredible, it is simply not how health works. Superfoods are called that for a reason, but they are not magical. It may be a marketing ploy, but it is not an unfounded one. These superfoods are just that, super, and they have phenomenal health benefits. The key to unlocking them and seeing the improvements in health, mood, and physicality is consistency.
It is impossible to “fix” an unhealthy lifestyle with just one serving of superfoods a week or even a day. One must implement superfoods in combination with other healthy habits. The change can be as ambitious as an hour-long workout every day or as simple as drinking plenty of water. Once a little change becomes a habit, it is easier to make more changes. Adding superfoods to your diet can help build a healthy lifestyle.
A sustainable healthy lifestyle is not what influencers post on social media. It is not spending hours in the gym every day, taking hunger suppressors, or spending hundreds of dollars on a fitness program that isn’t sustainable. It’s as simple as making one little change at a time.
If you were to learn how to juggle, would you start with seven clubs? If you wanted to spin plates on sticks, would you start with ten dishes at once? Of course not! Starting small is the best way to make lasting changes. Superfoods can open the door to that change. They pack high nutrition, usually in small packages, so by adding superfoods to your diet you can start a
snowball effect of change.
You could start by adding a handful of dried berries to your morning cereal, snacking on an apple at work or school, or tossing some almonds into your lunchbox. There are hundreds of superfood options to choose from, and Foods Alive can help with that selection. With sweet goji berries, several protein powders, and savory salad dressings in stock, there is a wide variety from
which to choose.
Start with just one or two additions, and soon you’ll find yourself craving superfoods with every meal. You could switch your afternoon latte with a cup of Biocoffee, or treat yourself to some Chocolate Macaroon Snackers rather than Oreos. Perhaps you could entirely replace your regular trail mix with Globe Trekker trail mix. Foods Alive is excited to help you build a healthy diet full of satisfying, delicious superfoods.
Here is a link to the list containing our wide variety of superfoods.
Research
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/healthy-diet-6-best-vitamins-antioxidants-and-minerals-to-boos
t-energy-2215054
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/superfoods/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-blueberries#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
https://www.healthxchange.sg/food-nutrition/food-tips/good-reasons-eat-banana-today
