Superfoods—like superpowers or superheroes—sound great in theory. Who doesn’t like the idea of a single food that can improve your health and protect you against disease all by itself? It certainly would make healthy eating a lot easier. But unfortunately, this idea is just as fictional as superpowers and superheroes. The reality is that a healthy diet means variety. It isn’t about any one food.
That’s not to say there aren’t nutrient-dense foods out there that pack a real punch when it comes to health benefits. There certainly are! For some people, this might be their definition of superfoods.
But because the term “superfood” is not a scientific or regulated classification, you should be wary when you hear it. The word exploded in popularity among health and wellness circles during the past 20 years, but there’s no set definition to it—it’s a word that could mean something completely different to you than it does to somebody else. Any diet plan or food packaging touting the idea of a food being “super” might simply be engaging in some clever marketing.
That’s not to say that many foods with a reputation of being superfoods are bad for you. Far from it! Most foods earn this designation because they have high levels of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, all of which reduce the risk of chronic disease, support heart health, boost immunity, aid in weight management, improve cognitive function, and reduce inflammation.
Foods you might have heard referred to as superfoods before might include:
Berries, such as blueberries and acai
Leafy greens, such as kale and spinach
Fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts
Whole grains, such as quinoa or barley
Green tea
Spices, including turmeric and ginger
All of these foods contain nutrients and antioxidants that improve your health. But any one of them on their own is not enough to give your body everything it needs. Every food contains its own unique nutritional profile, and it’s only by eating a varied diet that you can get everything you need. By eating only one kind of food, or a limited variety of food, you will be getting a limited variety of nutrients. If you ate nothing but spinach all day, you’d be getting plenty of vitamins A, C, and K, but you would be deficient in fat, protein, and overall calories. By contrast, meat or poultry will have plenty of protein but none of the many antioxidants you get from fruits and vegetables.
And don’t forget that variety is important because it stops you from getting bored with your healthy food choices. Even if you love blueberries and kale, you would get bored having these two foods for every meal!
If you want a healthy, balanced, nutritionally complete diet, it’s best to listen to the advice consistently promoted by the experts at the National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Department of Health and Human Services: Don’t follow trends, and instead build your diet around fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and minimally processed foods.
