I can’t believe you said dandelion greens. I love ‘em. Can’t say that my wife does. Here’s the problem. There is only about a two week window in late March when they are at their best. You have to pick the new shoots right before a bud starts. Can’t say there’s a shortage of them, just a shortage of time to pick ‘em and clean ‘em. Cleaning dandelions is a labor of love. First you have to trim off the ends and bad leaves and then wash them over and over until all of the sand is rinsed out. But I found a great secret for rinsing. I got a mesh laundry bag, fill it with greens and then run it through a rinse cycle in the washing machine. Next a little oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and wha-la.

Blueberries did not make this list, this time, but I do love them. Kiwi too.

However, I do not think that eating only these foods provide a well-balanced diet. Remember balance and variety is the spice of life. Lot of colorful fruits and vegetables are always great, especially when we do not have to over salt and sugar them.

I am going to have to try the chia seeds. Good stuff, Sven.

Great tips on the dandelions too, Hunter. Thanks.

In good health,
Grace RD, CDE, MBA
Registered Dietitian
Certified Diabetes Educator
Wellness and Health Coach

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Hunter,

What are dandelion greens like after March? I’m still getting plenty coming up in my yard.

Also, I’d add these foods to the list (based more on gut feeling than hard scientific basis):

1. Ginger — good for circulation and motion sickness
2. Garlic — I’ve swallowed raw pieces to successfully clear up congestion
3. Hot chiles — How can all that heat NOT be good for you?

HealthierMISven wrote:

Seaweed, beets, dandelion greens and chia seeds (yes, the seeds that give life to those perennial curios, including the new Chia Obama bust) are among the “Unsung superfoods you should be eating.”

I found this list, which appears on the Chicago Tribune website, via Twitter. I’m glad to see grapefruit appear, since I eat them every day during winter, as well as avocados, which we regularly feed to our 2-year-old at home. However, I’m going to have to start saving the dandelion greens that I pick out of our yard for salads. And I hope that chia seeds taste better than flax.

What are your favorite superfoods? Anything that didn’t make this list?

Could mushrooms be considered a superfood that should be eaten? I was doing research on medicinal mushrooms and their potential benefits. What do you think of certain mushrooms being added to list?

Hi Sven,
I make a raw veggie salad with carrots and beets – about five peeled carrots and three peeled beets for four servings – by shredding them and mixing them with Balsamic vinegar and a bit of olive oil. It’s a great way for me to eat two of the important color groups, and it can be enjoyed any time of the year.

@healthier_megan, That sounds delicious. I love beets. My wife makes a delicious cole slaw recipe with them mixed with purple cabbage and carrots. The beets turn the dressing (mayo and cider vinegar) pink. So good.

@mark01, I’m not the expert, but I’ve seen some stories that have said that mushrooms carry some very beneficial ingredients. I think HealthierMIgrace has a good point in that, while it’s important to include these kinds of foods in our diets, it’s most important to eat a varied, wide-ranging and colorful array of food.