N is for Now Try This

We’ve all heard that some foods are apparently super. This doesn’t mean that they can travel faster than the speed of sound or wear a red cape. Instead, it’s all about the nutrients they are full of and what benefits they provide you with.

Superfoods are incredibly healthy, usually quite versatile and pretty delicious. While certain superfoods seem to go in and out of fashion and some foods are described as being super when they aren’t, there are a few real superfoods you should consider adding to your diet.

Because we think everyone should make the most out of superfoods to enjoy all the added goodness they bring to meals, here are our latest Tefalphabet tips on which ones you should try:

Considered to be brain food, walnuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fat that helps to improve memory. The high amount of omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts are also important for looking after your heart.

Walnuts also include a lot of vitamins, nutrients and other properties that help with areas like bone health, improving your mood and maintaining a healthy weight. This means there are lots of reasons to enjoy walnuts, even if you do need to fight to get them out of their shells!

While you can enjoy walnuts as they are, you can also blend them up with fresh basil, a garlic clove, parmesan cheese and olive oil to create a delicious and easy pesto, which can be served with pasta or as a topping for fish. Alternatively, add them to your stir fry for some added texture.

This Chinese cabbage is delicious and versatile, as well as being pretty super. It looks different from your typical cabbage and doesn’t have quite the same taste but is a great alternative or addition to your usual veggies.

Pak choi is full of vitamins A and C, which help with the immune system and eye health – although it won’t help you see in the dark. This leafy green vegetable is also full of calcium for strong bones, along with folate, potassium and vitamin B6, which help to take care of your heart.

You can steam or stir fry pak choi, which help to keep it crisp and tasty. It works well with soy and ginger flavours, so using these ingredients in a sauce will make your pak choi extra delicious.

Lentils have a bit of a bad reputation and are often thought to be lacking in flavour. While they may not have the strongest taste out of the ingredients on your plate, you really shouldn’t underestimate just how super lentils are.

Not only are they really easy to cook, lentils also contain high levels of soluble fibre, which helps to lower cholesterol, improve heart health, stabilise blood sugar and maintain a healthy digestive system. On top of this, they are protein-rich and chock full of folate.

There are several different types of lentils available and you can buy them dry or tinned, depending on what suits your style of cooking. Try adding them to stews, curries, stir-fries and even cottage pie to help bulk your recipes out and add more goodness.

We’ve all heard that sweet potatoes are a healthier option than white potatoes – which they are – but what is it about them that makes them super? For starters, they are really high in a range of vitamins, including vitamin C and vitamin B6, which help keep boost your immune system and keep your heart healthy.

Just half of a large sweet potato also delivers over four times your daily dose of vitamin A, which is important for looking after your eyes. On top of this, these orange veggies are high in potassium, iron, magnesium and other nutrients that support good health.

Sweet potatoes also happen to be delicious and so versatile that you can make both sweet and savoury dishes with them. Use them to make chips, potato gratin, mash, roasties, noodles and anything else you can think of!

For more clever cooking tips to help you out in the kitchen, have a look at the rest of Tefalphabet.