Super-Do What Now?

Hello! Vanessa here today. If someone asked you to quickly name some SUPERFOODS, what springs to mind? Probably salmon, blueberries, kale, and walnuts, among a few others. Now think: what makes these foods so special? Do they have a unique mix of vitamins? Do they cure disease? Do they give you superpowers? Depending on the source of your information, you might walk away thinking all of the above. You'll learn more about the concept of superfoods with Karen this week and why this idea keeps sticking around.

Of course, just because the powers of certain foods may be mythologized doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat them. It just means (SPOILER ALERT) that they may not be the end-all, be-all of nutritious eating. Plenty of other foods share similar nutritional profiles to those foods identified as super, and you may prefer those other foods for lots of reasons: taste, texture, budget, and ease of preparation just to name a few. For every salmon out there, there's a can of tuna. For every blueberry, there's a strawberry or piece of citrus. And for every artisanal kale salad there's a romaine Caesar with your name on it. While we're all for diversifying your tastes, nutrition need never be prescriptive. Eat what you like, and please do try some new things when you can. But if you can't bring yourself to make that goji-maca-cacao avocado smoothie a part of your morning routine, you're certainly not doing anything wrong.