How Super are "Super Foods"

I’ll be honest, I don’t really like this term “super food”. It is very deceiving. Presumably, it is made to seem that this media appointed “super food” is somehow better than every other fruit or vegetable. Every year a new “super food” is appointed: blueberries, kale, chia, goji berries, acai berries, noni, etc.

Growers and sellers of this “super food” want everyone to think that not only are these foods healthy, they are somehow healthier than all the other fruits and vegetables. In response, I would like to quote one of my favorite bumper stickers of all time, “I’m unique, just like everyone else”.

Yes, these super foods have unique qualities and may be the most concentrated source of one specific phytonutrient or vitamin. However, all fruits and vegetables are high in different nutrients. Our bodies thrive on high quantities of a variety of nutrients. Variety is key! Phytonutrients are what give fruits and vegetables their color. This is why we say, eat a wide variety of color. I’m not saying you shouldn’t bother with the “super food” of the month. Eat kale and blueberries all you want. Just know that what really makes it super is when you combine it with tons of other fruits and vegetables in your diet.

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” - Michael Pollan