7 December Superfoods

With winter officially here, a new batch of superfoods is just now coming into season -- maybe a little bit heartier, but every bit as nutritious, as those warmer weather offerings.

And as luck would have it, many of these December superfoods work perfectly in soothing, perfect-for-chilly-winter-day recipes. Think the food equivalent of a warm blanket and a crackling fire ...

For a list of seven, expert-recommended superfoods you should try out this month (between all the eggnog or chocolate gelt, that is) read on.

Comments

[muted3]

08:09 PM on 12/04/2012

Every food here with the exeption of cranberries, tastes bad.

[MichelleStaphMRSA]

07:35 PM on 05/05/2012

Calorie for calorie, greens have the highest vitamin and mineral content of just about any other food. Here in the NW, fall greens (kale, chard, collards, etc) keep going well on into winter in a cold frame. Of all the diet changes I've made, eating a green smoothie every day has had the most notable positive effect on my health. I've seen this diet change alone have a significant positive affect on chronic infections like MRSA and Staph infections.

The best way to eat them is in a blended smoothie, along with cranberries if you like, to break down the cellulose cell walls and make them more digestible. It's also best to rotate greens from time to time as they each have different nutrient profiles. They are also an excellent source of the amino acid building blocks of proteins and enzymes. I like blending them with bananas to make them smoother and add a little natural sweetness to counter the bitterness of the greens.

Michelle at staph infection resources

[SoulOfDespair]

12:09 PM on 12/13/2011

The only one listed above that I know for sure that I have tasted is cranberry. I love the sourness of it. It's soo delicious, especially in drinks!

[Patricia Osborn]

08:52 AM on 12/13/2011

how many cranberries or supplements do I have to eat before I stop getting UTI*'s. Sheesh!

[attorneyman3000]

02:47 PM on 12/11/2011

If you want some weight loss tips before New Year's, check out my blog:

http://scarylawyerguy.blogspot.com/2011/12/attack-of-resolutionists.html

[Adam Valen Levinson]

07:23 AM on 12/11/2011

How are Kumquats not more famous.

[fashion isha]

11:33 PM on 12/10/2011

I love healthy food so I really appreciate this post. Every single food here is delicious and nutritious. Thanks!
xo
Sharon
www.fashion-isha.com

[Greenblue]

04:40 PM on 12/10/2011

word "superfood" is super annoying ._.

[allerleirauh]

09:02 AM on 12/10/2011

Avocados aren't really in season. This month my local produce department swapped from the tasty kind to the nasty kind with lighter-colored insides and no flavor. I guess the nasty ones are the ones from Mexico? And the tasty ones are from maybe California? I don't know the reason, but although they look the same on the outside, the difference between summer and winter avocados available in Memphis supermarkets is night and day.

My favorite winter superfood is the beet - roasted - roast thin slices and put them on hamburgers for a treat!

[gsapples]

09:17 PM on 12/09/2011

If you make beef stew, add some portobello mushrooms. It will give the stew a rich taste. A friend of mine said she stood in front of her spice rack trying to figure out what was the secret seasoning in my beef stew. She was shocked when I told her it was portobello mushrooms.

[Jackiebreeze]

05:16 PM on 12/09/2011

I love using cranberries in my smoothies! I am going to stock up and freeze them so I will have some all year!

[ambienAnnie]

03:41 PM on 12/09/2011

What about pomegranate seeds? They are seasonal now and though most people are too lazy to de-shell them and the mess that goes with it, they are so delicious and good for you!

[Karl Wilder]

01:23 PM on 12/12/2011

No mess if you use the Turkish underwater method. I eat at least one pomegranate a day.

[cadawa]

03:31 PM on 12/09/2011

Hold off on the button mushrooms. According to mushroom guru Paul Stamets, this variety contains a carcinogin. Never eat them raw. Cooking seems to help. Always buy organic. Commercial mushroom growers use large amounts of pesticides and chemicals.
Stamets has done extensive research on the medicinal properties of different varieties and how to grow them. It's a really interesting subject and his books and lectures are fascinating.

[Al Schrader]

09:48 AM on 12/13/2011

Nearly all mushrooms are farmed indoors. No pesticides, sunlight, or bees are required.
They may contain traces of cow manure on them. You should never immerse mushrooms in liquid until just before you use them, then wash them....Al-

[cadawa]

06:02 PM on 12/13/2011

Tell it to the 'mushroom flies, the parasitic nematodes and the sciarad fly.
Skipped right over the carcinogenic part, didn't you.

[cadawa]

06:03 PM on 12/13/2011

Obviously you're not in the business. Sciard flies, parasitic nematodes and oh yes, the mushroom fly all beg to differ. How about those carcinogins?

[BamaRainbow]

11:30 AM on 12/13/2011

Well, bear in mind that "button mushrooms" are taxonomically the same variety as the more prestigious "Crimini mushrooms" and "Portabello mushrooms" (in other words, all those "varieties" are exactly the same species, just taken at different times).

(Bear in mind, too, that Stamets is more than just a "mushroom guru"; he owns a company involved in growing commercial mushrooms. I'm not saying he has any hidden motives in making claims of OTHER commercial growers using "large amounts of pesticides and chemicals" for his own commercial gain but I would take his claims with a VERY large grain of salt.)

[cadawa]

05:22 PM on 12/13/2011

Stamets is primarily reasearcher and you are?
Read his stuff and then we'll talk.