A few years ago, I got really interested in superfoods - which I'm sure many of you can relate to as we hear so much about them on social media! I also got really interested in the idea of emphasizing variety in diet to do a better job of meeting micronutrient needs.

Here's a quick overview of some common "superfoods"
Harvard Health - 10 superfoods to boost a healthy diet
And an explanation of micronutrients
World Health Organization - Micronutrients

We also hear a lot about fancier superfoods like spirulina, açaí berry, cordyceps mushroom, etc. These can be really valuable additions to a diet, but I always have to spend some time mentally balancing the cost and figuring out if I'm likely to be getting a quality product...

I've struggled with tricky digestive issues for a while, and there have been periods of time when my list of "safe" foods felt a lot smaller. Even in those times, I did my best to build in variety in the small ways I could, from eating different kinds of apples (eg sometimes buying fuji and sometimes honeycrisp) to varying what salad greens I was buying or growing (eg romaine, red leaf, spring mix) Maybe it didn't make a huge difference, but I figure even very small differences are better than no differences at all!

Now I feel like I've built up a lot of strategies, including:
• freely adding spices/herbs to foods I make (like brewing cardamom into coffee or mixing my morning fruit with cinnamon and hawthorn berry powder)
• using a variety of greens and herbs whenever I can, like in soups, pasta sauces, salads, smoothies, etc
• rotating through different grains for a morning porridge (rice, millet, amaranth, sorghum, corn, quinoa)
• drinking a lot of different herbal teas
• and still trying my best to buy or grow multiple varieties of fruits and vegetables!

In all honesty, sometimes it doesn't look very aesthetic. Sometimes it tastes a little earthy. Sometimes I don't get the flavour profiles or textures quite right. But that's okay! I tend to be pretty realistic that not every single dish I make will be absolutely amazing in either flavour, appearance, or nutrition, but I try to hit at least one of those qualities as best I can.

What about you? Do you try to focus on variety? Do you like using "superfoods" in your diet? Do you have any strategies or recipes to share? I'd love to hear them!

 Please note: always make sure to check in with a medical professional for personalized health advice

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