5 Superfoods About to Make It Big

POPSUGAR Fitness

Move over Açaí, there are some new superfoods in town. Hailing from exotic locations and brimming with antioxidants, vitamins, and other essential nutrients, here are our predictions for the next foods to gain super-duper status.

  • Acerola - The next time you've got a cold find yourself some acerolas. Packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants, acerolas, aka Amazon or Barbados cherries, have 40 times more vitamin C than an orange and in a test comparing the antioxidant properties of 11 different fruits, the acerola came out the highest.

  • Baobab Fruit - The white, powdery pulp of the African baobab tree fruit seems to have it all - vitamin C, iron, calcium (twice as much as milk!), a host of electrolytes, and fiber. And if you're looking for some protein, roast up its seeds. The baobab fruit was recently approved for export, and though initial use has only been seen in beverages and yogurt, it also works as an excellent thickener for soups and stews.

  • Maqui Berry - The maqui berry is an antioxidant wunderkind. Grown in Patagonia, it's one of the highest ranking foods on the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) scale, a test that measures the antioxidant potency of foods. To put that into perspective, maqui juice has an ORAC score of 40,000 and blueberry juice has an ORAC score of 3000. Antioxidants are important for ridding the body in toxins and may even help with weight control.

  • Nutritional Yeast - Nutritional yeast is the secret star of the vegan community and it's about to make it big with the masses. The flaky yellow powder is prized by vegans for its cheesy, nutty flavor and variety of uses; but we're giving it superfood status for being full of B12 and folic acid. For a tasty treat, I sprinkle it onto my popcorn.

  • Muscadine Grapes - Muscadine grapes are a little bit larger and thicker than your average grape but they're also a little bit better for you. Full of antioxidants they have anti-inflammatory benefits, are high in fiber and contain resveratrol, which helps in lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease.

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Michael Pollan's Food Rules to Live By
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Raw Leafy Green Breakdown

Source: Flickr User Amanda *Bake It Pretty*'s