Over the past few years, ‘Superfoods’ have gained a lot of attention in media and culinary circles due to their high level of nutrition and the health benefits of adding them to your diet. Some superfoods like kale, turmeric and blueberries are well-known and wonderful but I find many people overlook our very easy to get ‘normal’ fruit, vegies and herbs, some of which are packed with just as much, if not more nutrition and can be easily grown in your own garden.
Firstly, consider old-fashioned silverbeet. I find many vegie gardens are often bursting at the seams with (usually self-sown) silverbeet, which is great for those who want to make sure they’re getting nutritious greens. The humble leafy green silverbeet is very high in essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients including calcium, iron, vitamin A and C, which promotes healthy skin, eyes, bone health and immune function. If you’re not a confident gardener, this is one vegetable most people can comfortably grow well and it will always be a very healthy and nutritional addition to meals.
Growing a leafy vegetable that you can pick and lightly cook soon afterwards is something I highly recommend. It’s when you will get the most nutritional value from it. You can easily steam it, mix it into your salads raw or even pop it in your fresh home- made juices and get a healthy dose of chlorophyll. It’s a natural blood cleanser that helps the body detoxify and clears out any nasties that may be lurking around our systems.
Next consider the normally prolific growing herb, Parsley. It’s one that doesn’t gain a lot of attention for its nutritional properties or health benefits but always steps up to the plate (no pun intended). Parsley is a humble little herb rich in the important Vitamins A, K, Folate and energizing B Vitamins. Its health promoting benefits range from protecting our DNA through to providing antioxidants. Its high levels of iron and calcium assist with anaemia, improve our digestive health and is a natural diuretic, plus much more.
Adding MORE of these naturally nutritious foods to some of your meals during the week is a simple way to provide your body with the essentials it needs to improve digestion and feel more energised.
There are so many delicious recipes available you can try that include these ingredients. It’s an excuse to get in the kitchen, experiment and become excited about preparing healthy meals.
By Holly Kendall of Holly Kendall Organics http://www.hollykendallsorganics.com.au
Holly Kendall’s Organics, provides families with easy access to fresh, seasonal certified organic produce sourced from Australian farms where it is grown free of chemicals or pesticides and hasn’t been subjected to any long term storage. The business is operated with the help of her family, from her small organic farm in the hills of Wandong, Victoria.