Good news, friends and foodies! I have not heard anything this exiting from the food gurus since they told us that eating dark chocolate and red wine was all to our good. This article at Salon reveals 5 super foods we should include in our diet. I’d never heard of two of them—moringa and aronia.
Moringa leaves with paste
I did a little Internet roving and found that Moringa is a seed pod that tastes like sweetened green beans. It’s enjoyed primarily by those living in Africa and Asia.
This super food has more protein than yogurt, more calcium than milk, more B vitamins than peanuts, more potassium than bananas, and more vitamin A than carrots. Sound pretty super. HuffPo has several recipes worth the click.
Aronia is chokeberry used by American Indians. It supposedly has anti-inflammatory ingredients, as well as those that prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. Advocates say it’s good in smoothies.
Two More Super Foods: Turmeric and Mung Beans
The turmeric I recognized. I stocked up when I was at the spice market in Istanbul. I keep a shaker by my stove and sprinkle it on anything that needs a flavor and nutrition boost.
The mung beans, I eat more sparingly, most often when I’m in an Asian restaurant. These little jewels are packed with potassium, protein, iron, magnesium and fiber. They supposedly suppress the growth of cancer cells. What’s more, you can sprout them overnight on your kitchen counter and serve over rice.
But the Best News Is. . .
When I read about the fifth super food, I laughed, I grimaced, and I laughed again. Was I reading an article from The Onion? It was MAPLE SYRUP!
All these years I’ve been dribbling a few drops on my infrequent short stack of pancakes, when I should’ve been puddling it on my plate. Researchers say maple syrup has found favor because of its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compounds. According to the Daily Mail, the sweet stuff “joins the ranks of broccoli and blueberries as the new ‘one-stop-shop’ super food.”
Short of sucking syrup from a straw, how should we use this newly recognized miracle food? Researchers at the University of Rhode Island suggest eating it on popcorn, scones, pies, cocktails, roasted vegetables, especially Brussels sprouts, pumpkin soup, bread pudding, fajitas, snack mix, granola, and mousse.
I’m not convinced. It sounds too good to be true. Just to be on the safe side, it’s probably best to pour maple syrup on your mung beans or moringa. And add a dash of turmeric.
Enjoy your pancakes!
