Lets not get too carried away by splashing our hard earned cash on pricey green powders and exotic grains. We want to bring your attention to celebrating real super foods, from broccoli to salmon to chickpeas. These are incredibly nutritious, and won’t make such a big dent in your wallet!

B for Broccoli

Broccoli is bursting with benefits. It contains a special combination of three phytonutrients; Glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin, which work perfectly as a trio to support the body’s detoxification process. Of all the cruciferous veggies to choose from, this super green veggie is packed with the most vitamin C and the highest levels of powerful antioxidants.

Tip: steam your broccoli to retain the goodness that would otherwise escape into the water in which you boil it. We would also recommend broccoli in a soup as this jazzes it up a bit. We love Madeleine Shaw’s delicious Detox Coconut and Broccoli Soup…

S for Salmon

We all need a good dose of oily fish, and tucking into a salmon fillet does just the trick. If you want the freshest and most vibrant of fillets, opt for Wild Alaskan salmon as it is bursting with nutrients and contains the least contaminants. Packed with Omega 3 fatty acids and protein to keep you fuller for longer, it also boasts a variety of vitamins; vitamin A, D, B6, B and E to be precise. Cook in coconut oil for a beautiful depth of flavour and a double dose of essential fatty acids.

B for blueberries

Tasty, sweet and bursting with flavour, these little miracles contain disease fighting phytochemicals, soluble fibre and flavonoids. They are anti-inflammatory, with the highest antioxidant content of most fruits and veggies, to protect our bodies from damage by free radicals. They are also low in sugar and have beneficial effects on our insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism… let’s dig in!

We love popping them into our morning smoothies with some almond milk and nut butter. Topping our porridge with them is also another one of our faves.

L for lentils

Low in cals and high in nutritional value, the humble lentil contains impressively high levels of protein compared to other legumes and nuts. Their high fibre and protein content balances out blood sugar levels and keeps hunger, and those dreaded cravings, at bay.

For those of you with hectic lifestyles, prepare them on the weekend and fill your lunch boxes with them throughout the week. They will readily absorb a variety of flavours that you pair them with – so make sure to chuck in some yummy spices. We love to tuck into yellow lentil and coconut curry or lentil dahl – both make for a hearty bowl of comforting yumminess.

C for chickpeas

If you aren’t too keen on chickpeas by themselves, fear not…the mighty and creamy humous is brimming with these little peas. We get through way too much of it! However, thanks to its high dietary fibre content, which acts as a bulking agent in our digestive system, chickpeas are associated with weight loss and increased feelings of satiety. Significantly high in fibre, which lowers our cholesterol level and in turn lowers our risk of heart disease, chickpeas have a fantastic ability to move things along our digestive track so we can retain regularity.

Tip: bake chickpeas in olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper for 30 mins for a delicious filling snack or to scatter over your salads.

Words by Flora Crichton

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