While the term ‘superfruit’ doesn’t have a strict definition yet, it is a word that is often used to describe fruits that contain exceptionally high amounts of nutrients, and which may prove beneficial to your health.
Superfruits contain a variety of phytonutrients, and are often quite rich in antioxidants, like anthocyanins. It is these anthocyanins, which give berries such as blueberries their deep colour and may be responsible for the antioxidant activity of these berries.
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Some super fruits that you might recognise, and that might already be in your fridge include blueberries, avocados, cranberries and cherries.
There are also some more exotic, lesser known – and harder to track down, superfruits such as baobab, goji berries, mangosteens, and acai berries.
8 fruits to supercharge your diet Blueberries Blueberries are native to North America an are now cultivated around the world. They are a rich source of antioxidant nutrients including anthocyanins, vitamin C, lutein and betacarotene. flash 9 cameramake Canon height 1131 camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS4 originaldate 7/16/2008 11:54:02 PM width 1698 cameramodel Canon EOS-1Ds Mark I Avocado Avocadoes have been eaten from as far back as 7000 BC and were an important part of the Aztec and Inca diets. They are a great source of folate, vitamin C and mono-unsaturated fats. flash 16 cameramake KONICA MINOLTA height 1129 camerasoftware DYNAX 5D v1.00 originaldate 11/12/2005 1:26:05 AM width 1700 cameramodel DYNAX 5D Baobab Baobab is a tree native to Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, and Australia. The fruit contains protein, calcium, phosphorus & other minerals and is also a rich source of essential fatty acids. cameramake NIKON CORPORATION height 1129 camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS2 originaldate 1/10/2010 11:52:03 PM width 1700 cameramodel NIKON D70s Goji berries Consumption of goji berries is thought to go back as far as 2800 BC. Goji berries contain carotenoids, vitamin C and polysaccharides. flash 16 cameramake Canon height 1131 camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS5 originaldate 11/8/2013 9:39:09 PM width 1698 cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark II Mangosteen Mangosteen is a tropical tree native to Asia. The fruit contsians, vitamin C, vitamin B1 and anthocyanins. cameramake Canon height 1131 flash 16 originaldate 7/19/2009 3:17:20 PM width 1698 cameramodel Canon EOS 450D Cranberries Cranberries originate in North America and have long been used medicinally and as a food by Native Americans.They are a great source of iron, vitamin C and antioxidant proanthocyanidins. cameramake NIKON CORPORATION height 1096 camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Ligh originaldate 10/27/2013 6:52:16 PM width 1752 cameramodel NIKON D5100 Cherries Sweet cherries are believed to be native to Europe and Western Asia, while sour cherries originated in Southeast Europe and Western Asia. Cherries are an excellent source of vitamin C and anthocyanins. flash 16 cameramake Canon height 1131 orientation 1 camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS5. originaldate 6/28/2015 9:51:38 PM width 1698 cameramodel Canon EOS 7D Acai berries Açaí (acai) is a berry grown on the açaí palm tree (Euterpe oleracea), which is native to tropical Central and South America. Acai are a source of anthocyanins which give the berries their colour and antioxidant properties. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 2362 height 1772
Supercharge your diet with superfruits
Fresh avocado mashed on toasted sourdough bread
Fruit salad – combine your favourite fruits with some fresh blueberries and cherries. Top with coconut yoghurt, a swirl of honey and sprinkle with dried cranberries and walnuts
Have a superfruit smoothie! There so many ways to combine these superfruits into a delicious breakfast smoothie. Try blueberries, with some avocado – add some coconut water or coconut milk, spinach leaves ice, and honey
Try a chia seed pudding- mix 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, ½ cup of coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of honey, a dash of vanilla extract & a pinch of salt. Allow the mixture to sit for at least an hour (ideally overnight) then top with a combination of fresh blueberries & cherries, dried cranberries and coconut flakes
Add avocado to your salad, or slice it up and put it on top of your chicken or steak for lunch or dinner
Happily cherries & blueberries are easy to transport – try having a handful of one or the other (or both) in the afternoon when that 3pm sugar craving hits
Fresh guacamole with some carrots and celery to dip is another great superfruit afternoon hit