Super foods are items that have dense levels of nutrients like minerals, vitamins, fiber and protein, according to Chesapeake College. They may help improve or maintain your health and protect against various diseases. The next time you're shopping at the grocery store, look for some of these foods and incorporate them into your diet to experience their nutritional value for yourself.
Berries
Berries like cranberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are more than just tasty, bite-sized snacks. Le Cordon Bleu, one of the world's largest education institutions, calls them an antioxidant-rich super food. For best results, they recommend choosing dark colored berries such as blueberries, which feature 50 percent more antioxidants than their lighter skinned counterparts.
Fish
Fish, and specifically the oil it contains, is high in beneficial fats according to Chesapeake College. Eating fish twice a week can help reduce your risk of health diseases like arthritis and Alzheimer's. Dr. Roberta Anding, writing for the college, recommends sardines, herring and salmon and avoiding shark, albacore tuna and king mackerel.
Nuts
Colorado State University includes nuts on its list of super foods for their power in reducing cholesterol levels, and particularly their ability to lower low-density lipoprotein, the bad type of cholesterol, thanks to natural compounds known as sterols.
Soy
Soy can be found in a wide variety of foods, such as tofu, roasted soy nuts and soy milk. Dr. Jaclyn Pritchard, a dietitian at Slice Canada, advises that soy is not only a great source of protein, it also contains isoflavones, which can help reduce risks of osteoporosis, heart disease and various forms of cancer.
Oysters
Oysters are not just a gourmet meal--they contain some of the highest levels of zinc found in any food item. Because of their substantially high zinc content, Le Cordon Bleu ranks the mollusk as a top super food for boosting your immune system.
Pomegranates
Crimson, juicy pomegranates have 300 percent of the cell-protecting antioxidants found in green tea, reports Chesapeake College. The college also notes that it can help reduce your chances of having heart disease or a stroke. You can enjoy its benefits by either eating the fruit or drinking its juice.
Avocados
Colorado State University ranks avocados as a super food due to its high concentration of monounsaturated fat that gives it its creamy texture. Unlike other kinds of fat, this fat works beneficially to help lower your cholesterol. You can add slices of avocado to a sandwich, or smash it up for a rich chip dip.
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