French chef Auguste Escoffier famously said, “Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.”
It’s tough to be at your happiest when you aren’t feeling healthy. With that in mind, let’s look at the foods that make you the healthiest — superfoods — and how Omega-3 fatty acids fit into the picture.
Many superfoods contain omega-3s, salmon, and flaxseeds among the most popular and well known. But others aren’t quite as universal. Here are few superfoods we’ve recently become obsessed with either because of their omega-3 content or because of other health benefits that complement.
As a bonus, we’ve included a quick recipe for each — including one at the bottom that might just be the healthiest meal you’ve ever tried.
Yacon
Yacon is our unofficial superfood of the summer, and it’s not just because we’ve been binge-watching Zac Effron’s new show, Down To Earth. This is an incredible food that is similar to sweet potatoes, though less starchy and loaded with health benefits. It’s actually a perennial daisy that grows naturally only in South America. Yacon contains inulin, which is a pre-biotic (meaning it is indigestible, but helps your gut process and digest vital nutrients. It’s also low-glycemic, making it great for diabetics and others with blood sugar issues.
Yacon isn’t easy to find — in fact, it may not be available in your area outside of specialty markets. Try a search for local purveyors, or ask for a recommendation at your local natural foods store.
Try this recipe:
- 2 yacon, julienned
- 1 cup mixed greens
- 3 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon diced carrot
- 1 tablespoon Lemonaise
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 scoop mixed seeds
Toss all ingredients, save for Lemonaise, mustard, and seeds, into a bowl. Stir Lemonaise and dijon mustard together. Add to bowl and toss. Top with seeds.
Bonus: add 4 oz grilled salmon to knock this meal out of the park!
Tofu
Tofu doesn’t impress anyone upon first look. But it’s one of the most versatile of all superfoods, able to fit into just about any global cuisine and willing to sacrifice its blandness at the hint of a savory addition.
Tofu is truly the chameleon of the superfood lexicon.
Fry it. Bake it. Bread it. It doesn’t matter — as long as you’re eating firm tofu, you’re getting protein without unhealthy fats. If you’ve never cooked with tofu (or ordered it at a restaurant), Asian dishes are a great way to introduce tofu to your diet. Try this as a hack to combat joint pain and inflammation by whipping up a tofu and veggie stir fry with extra virgin olive oil. It’s essentially a bean curd made from soy, and contains all eight essential amino acids.
For a zesty treat, bread tofu and pan-fry it to golden perfection, before adding it onto a salad or as the “meat” to a sandwich. There are literally hundreds of ways to prepare and eat tofu, but here’s our personal favorite tofu recipe:
Easy Tofu Thai Noodle Bowl
- 1 package Nasoya Teriyaki Tofubaked
- 10 oz thin rice noodles or chow mein noodles
- 2 tablespoons diced carrots
- 2 tablespoons diced green onion
- Cilantro, basil to taste
- ½ cup Minor’s stir fry sauce
Boil the noodles, then toss all ingredients save for cilantro/basil into a frying pan and stir-fry. Add cilantro and basil to taste, and presto!
Apples
You read that right. As simple as they are, apples are one of the ultimate superfoods and can actually work to block cancer cell growth and lower the risk of heart disease, according to a report in the Miami Herald. They are high in fiber and Vitamin C, making them an excellent antioxidant that when combined with a diet rich in omega 3s give you a heart, mind, and body-enriching snack.
They’re also incredibly easy to find, come in a diverse array of flavors and colors, and can go with just about anything. Many people start their day with an apple, but we like to slice one up and add it to a salad or dip into a nut butter as an afternoon snack.
Fun fact: apples were first popularized in the United States as cider, prompting a marketing campaign with the slogan, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” as a way to get people to each them instead of turning them into a beverage.
What is your healthiest meal of all-time?
Back in 2012, British newspaper The Daily Mail reported on a massive finding. Scientists had analyzed more than 4,000 health claims in an attempt to compile the healthiest meal ever served. The meal is essentially a plate full of superfoods and omega-3s, a veritable natural elixir for everything from joint pain and inflammation to gut health to natural energy.
It also looks darn tasty, if we do say so.
It starts with Salmon terrine, providing a mega boost of Omega-3s straightaway. It also contains a mixed leaf salad, chicken casserole with lentils and veggies, and there’s even dessert: a live yogurt-based blancmange with walnuts and sugar-free caramel topping.
Through eating this meal, you benefit your muscles, digestive system, mental alertness, and joints.
Now, we have a challenge for you. What is your healthiest meal of all time? Can you develop a concoction that rivals the one above, or maybe add on or swap an ingredient or two for extra flavor? (We suggest trying yacon root, but that’s just us).
Send us your recipe to [email protected] — we’ll feature some in our next healthy recipe rundown!
