We can’t think of a world without almond milk and chia seeds. But, before acquiring a fixed space in our kitchen, these products were once just a novel addition to all those popular food trends. While many of these highly recognized foods failed to cope with the ever-changing nature of food trends, a few still managed to retain their popularity. We will discuss some healthy superfoods here.
Let’s have a look at some of the latest healthy superfoods that are not just nutritious, but delicious too, and people would probably love them to be served on their plates for many more years to come.
Cauliflower
This needs no introduction. And, we are actually in the ‘cauliflower era.’ Conventional mashed potatoes are off the list. In fact, cauliflower has taken its place. These days, you have cauliflower pizza, riced cauliflower and many other things. And, why do you see it in almost every dish? Well, its versatility can be attributed to its mild flavor.
It subtly absorbs the taste of the seasonings that you use. Cauliflower can also take different textures – chewy, crispy, smooth and creamy. If you are advised not to eat white foods, do not give up on cauliflower. It has fiber, minerals, vitamins and also fights against cancer. In case you haven’t tried it before, you can start it with riced cauliflower. You can go for the frozen varieties as well.
Bean-Based Pasta
Legumes like lentils, peas and chickpeas have high-fiber content and these are proteins directly coming from plants. It can really help you bust your hunger. These pastas are free of gluten. While the conventional brown rice pasta can become sticky, the bean-based pasta gives a tough competition to regular pasta made out of durum and semolina.
You can serve it with pesto sauce, broccoli, peas, tuna or with little olive oil, black pepper and cheese. It is a convenient food which is also nutritious.
Flavored Sparkling Water
Drinking naturally flavored water instead of soda, which is sweetened with sugar, is a great way to cut out on sugar and calories. You can replace your diet soda with one of these drinks.
With just two ingredients – natural flavors and carbonated water – these are definitely better choices. Also, they are available in multiple flavors like coconut, mango, cherry, passion fruit and so on. We are sure you’ll find the one that you totally love.
High-Protein, Low-Calorie Ice Creams
We all want products that curb our cravings for sweet but are also healthy. These new ice creams are the option worth a try. Protein is definitely something to be happy about, but low sugar calls for a celebration. This is because erythritol, a low-calorie fix for sugar, is added in these.
These are good for people, who want to include something sweet in their diet as they contain only 70 calories in one serving as against 200 calories per scoop for many other varieties. However, a better, long-term plan would be to manage portion sizes. Do not overeat and do follow a moderate approach.
Plant Based Milks
There are so many that it is difficult to cover all of them. While you might be aware of coconut milk and almond milk, cashew milk, hemp milk, flax milk, oat milk and pea milk are the newbies. On top of these, blended varieties have lately also gained a lot of popularity.
So, if you want some protein, you can pick pea milk. This can also be used in coffee and oats as it has smooth and creamy consistency. If it’s not protein what you are looking for and want to make a smoothie from protein-rich Greek yogurt, almond milk can be your best bet to have lesser amount of calories.
Pea Protein Product
This is everywhere, all over the grocery stores! It comes from split yellow peas, which belong to the family of legumes like lentils and chickpeas. People may have allergies to other plant proteins like soy and nuts, but peas do not initiate these reactions.
Pea protein is also ecofriendly as compared to dairy proteins and soy proteins. Further, it has benefits like it makes you feel full and promotes muscle gain when consumed post resistance training.
Avocados
It is not a new trend but our love for this evergreen product is not going to diminish anytime soon. And, do you have a reason to not love avocados? They have monounsaturated fats that are good for the heart. Research say that they promote weight loss and prevent the formation of belly fat. Since it boasts a combination of fiber and healthy fats, avocados make for a great food.
They are also laden with minerals, vitamins and other healthy ingredients. You can prepare an avocado toast or you may add it to smoothies to have a creamy texture. You could even replace mayo with this and mix it with baked goods. It is a versatile product, so possibilities are just endless.
