Hello darlings,
since after Christmas my little loaf of bread started eating solids. We started with fruit and progressed to vegetables and meat. Now this last week we added cereal to her menu. We only fix her with natural foods nothing artificial and in a box. We try to find bio fruit and vegetables for her and I try to read some about her diet and its benefits at her age.
These last years there's been a huge trend towards healthy diet and super foods. If you've got up with that you might be stacking up your shelves with foods you can’t pronounce, like quinoa for example. However there are some not so widely known ones so you might want to wait a minute and read through my small guide of the new superfoods. You may have to search a little wider to find them, but it will be worth it!
First up, and starting to hit mainstream supermarkets, is Freekeh. It is pronounced exactly as it looks, so we already prefer it to quinoa. Which is good because it smacks it’s wheaty cousin out of the crock pot. Delivering more protein, fiber and iron you will soon fall in love with this ‘new’ ancient grain from Palestine. With a neat smokey flavour you can use it to power up the delicate flavour of maryland blue crab by adding it to crab cakes.
Pu-erh tea is a fermented Chinese tea with a really earthy flavour. It is a growing superfood because of its superpowers. This tea lowers triglyceride concentrations, the dangerous fats found in the blood. It also smashes your belly fat. Mix it up into your own brew by adding a little rooibos and barberry for the ultimate fat shrinking drink!
Heard of Sunflower Greens? They are a crunchy, nutty sprout that you get from sunflower seeds grown in the soil for a week. They contain lots of heart healthy fat, fiber and the usual plant protein found in sunflower seeds. However they are much lower in calories. They are delicious served with a little poached chicken and avocado salad. But you can also add them to your sandwiches or just nibble them covered in olive oil and a little salt.
Although this is not a new addition to the menu - we used to make beer out of it in the University actually - it has gained a lot of attention lately. So if you are looking for an alternative to yoghurt then Kefir is perfect for you. It is a fermented dairy drink made from fresh milk and kefir grains. You will find it packed with gut friendly bacteria so incredible for you immune system and will help improve lactose digestion. It also helps to control your hunger too. Which is a bonus for anyone watching their waistline. Add it to your cereal in the morning or just enjoy a nice cold glass instead of your usual fruit juice.
Make way for the sunchokes. Also known as Jerusalem artichokes these immunity boosting, healthy gut promoting stars contain one of the most amazingly names sweet fibers on earth. They are rich in fructooligosaccharides. (Don’t spellcheck that one) They are a delicious alternative to the French fry. Slice them into small slivers, cover them in olive oil, salt and pepper and then back on high in the oven for 20 minutes. Delicious.
Whilst there are many other gems hidden around the world, I am not going to share all our secrets with you (yet). Start with these and see how you get on by using them instead of the more traditional ingredients in your store. I bet you will feel superhuman in no time.
Lot's of love
