Superfoods is a non-medical term used for highly nutritious foods with health-promoting properties. They are nutrient-dense and calorie poor. They contain essential proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients easily absorbed by the body and contribute to healthier and longer lives.
These foods are even more beneficial for teenagers who are growing into adults. Heart disease, obesity, and cancer affect a higher number of teenagers.
When teens eat a well-balanced diet of whole grains, vegetables, nuts, beans, legumes, fruits, and lean proteins to replace junk food, it can assist in the path to good health and well-being.
Consider the benefits of these delicious superfoods for your teens:
1. Apples. Apples are an excellent source of fiber and potassium, which helps lower the risk of heart disease and prevent cancer. Apple skin contains quercetin, which prevents unstable oxygen molecules or free radicals from damaging your cells. It reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.
● Pectin, the soluble fiber in apples, helps lower blood cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease. Apples are the perfect low-calorie snack, with complex carbohydrates that boost your energy even more than high sugar junk foods.
● An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so give your teens a variety of apples to enjoy.
2. Blueberries. The primary force behind blueberries’ superpower is the phytonutrient anthocyanin. It helps support and stabilize the collagen, which helps form bone cartilage, skin, and tendons. It also strengthens blood vessels in the eye and helps improve vision.
● Blueberries protect the brain and sharpen your memory. Boost blueberry intake in your teens by letting them eat them fresh, juice them or put them on their waffles or pancakes.
3. Broccoli. It is the vegetable with the highest amount of polyphenol. The phytonutrients in broccoli help produce enzymes that detoxify the body to remove harmful compounds. Broccoli contains a phytonutrient sulforaphane compound, which prevents the growth of tumors and reduces the size of tumors.
● Broccoli and tomato, when eaten together, may even help prevent prostate cancer. It’s not unusual for teens to hate the taste of broccoli. Try broccoli sprouts, which have a milder flavor and provide excellent nutritional benefits.
4. Quinoa. Quinoa is a nutrient-rich seed. It provides ten essential amino acids which promote tissue growth and repair. It’s packed with fiber, which helps your bowels function correctly, thus preventing constipation, colitis, and colon cancer.
● Quinoa is also an excellent source of magnesium, which strengthens bones and teeth, prevents blood clots, and is vital for maintaining a healthy heart.
● Remember to rinse well before cooking for your teens to help remove saponins, reducing the intestinal absorption of some nutrients. Make it into a meal, and sprinkle healthy portions on their salads and pancakes.
5. Garlic. This is also called nature’s antibiotic. The sulfur compounds in garlic serve as antibiotics that fight infection. It is antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic. Consuming garlic daily, either raw or cooked, helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stomach and colon cancer.
● Allicin in garlic cleanses and purifies the body. It prevents atherosclerosis by opening blood vessels and cardiovascular disease by reducing the formation of blood clots.
● Teens can enjoy garlic with meals containing meat, fish, and other animal proteins to break them down efficiently.
6. Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate with the most concentrated cocoa has the most health benefits. Chocolate contains polyphenol antioxidants, which help to protect against cancer. Dark chocolate is beneficial to the heart, and it blocks arterial damage.
● The caffeine present in cocoa can boost their mood and help them pay attention and stay alert. The form most chocolates come in can be very detrimental to the health of teenagers. Chocolate bars, cakes, and cookies are high in fat, sugar, and calories.
● If they are going to eat a piece only once in a while, the best option to eat will be dark chocolate. You may even choose to buy chocolate in its raw organic form and make sweets for them.
The best time to eat healthily is while one is young ” taking the prevention route over the cure route. Superfoods are not a magic diet, but when you pay extra attention to your teen’s diet, it can make a healthy difference to them.
Continue encouraging them to eat various foods to get all the nutrients required. You’ll never regret going the extra mile on food quality for your teen.
