Super foods are a great addition to your plan for healthy weight loss in Chandler. They are packed with nutrition, have health benefits outside of weight loss and some are even touted to help with your complexion. We want our loved ones to have the nutritional benefits that these types of foods supply, but including super foods in a family budget can seem almost impossible.
Instead of busting your budget trying to purchase all of the leading superfoods at your local organic market, consider these tasty alternatives that pack a lot of the name nutritional value!
- Pomegranates contain a class of heart-healthy chemicals called polyphenols, which is also said to aid in the prevention of age-related mental deterioration. Pomegranate and pomegranate juice are expensive, but polyphenols can also be found in artichokes, parsley, Concord grapes and red wine.
- Another well-known super-food is spirulina. Costing upwards of $30 to $40 a pound, spirulina is not a cost-effective item for the average family to purchase. Spirulina is an algae that contains 70 percent protein, which is good for muscle, skin and bones. Other good sources of protein exist that are much less expensive, such as eggs, soybeans, almonds, dairy products and lean cuts of meat.
- Acai is another fruit that has received a great deal of media hype in recent years for being a super-food. Native to South and Central America, Acai berries contain large amounts of anthocyanins, which are said to inhibit cancer-cell growth and to promote cardiovascular health. However, anthocyanins are by no means specific to expensive products created with acai berries. Plenty of fruits are widely available in grocery stores which contain this ingredient. Blueberries, cherries, grapes and radishes all contain healthy amounts of anthocyanins, as do all other blue, red or purple colored fruits and vegetables.
- The Goji berry is a bit less well-known than the others. Rich in beta-carotene, Goji berries are said to enhance the immune system and even extend life-expectancy. However, a simple one-liter bottle of Goji juice can cost as much as $35. Less expensive alternatives include carrots, leafy greens and apricots.