Kale and Quinoa are so "last year". Get up to date with 2017's biggest superfoods and get healthy into your diet!

1. The Top Ten Superfoods of 2017
In case you haven’t heard, 2016 superfoods are, like,
so last year.
We’re well into 2017 - it’s time to update your
superfood list and we here at MagicKitchen.com are
here to help.

2. Watermelon Seeds
These things provide mad nutritional benefits
if eaten after they sprout (outside your
stomach) and are shelled prior to being eaten.
Not to worry, you don’t have to do that
yourself as they can be purchased that way.
As for their nutritional benefits, they offer ten
grams of protein per ounce, and are chock full
of vitamin B, magnesium and both
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Use them like any other seed or nut; eat them out of hand, use
them in granola, sprinkle them over a salad or some oatmeal, or
bake them into cookies or muffins.

3. Raw Cacao Nibs
Just think of this as chocolate without all the
other stuff, especially sugar. Raw cacao
contains numerous flavonoids which serve
as an anti-inflammatory and support both the
cardiovascular and nervous systems.
Flavonoids also provide many fruits and
veggies with their rich colors, such as the
vibrant red of raspberries. Other nutrients
contained within cacao include magnesium
and riboflavin.
Nibs can be eaten as is, they have a crunchy texture, but not tooth-
breakingly crunchy. They have an intense chocolate flavor, but with
no sweetness, they might take some getting used to.
They can be used in sweet baked goods, and there are savory
recipes to be found, as well.

4. Buckwheat
No, not the lovable character from Our Gang/The Little Rascals that Eddie
Murphy immortalized in Saturday Night Live skits from the 1980s, but the
gluten-free flour substitute used to make pancakes, among other things.
Buckwheat (there’s actually no wheat in buckwheat. It’s a fruit seed.) is a
great source of vegetarian protein, dietary fiber, and manganese. It’s also
been shown to help control blood sugar levels and protect against heart
disease.
This web page has a great explanation of the differences, and how to use
them.
http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2014/01/the-difference-between-raw-
and-toasted.html

5. Purple Vegetables
Not just eggplants and beets, but corn, carrots,
and asparagus too. Why?
These flavonoids help lower the risk of high blood pressure,
reduce inflammation and support brain health and since
they’re also rich in vitamin A they support eye health as well.
Stumped by what to make? Bon Appetit magazine has help!
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/12-recipes-for-purple-food-for-
breakfast-dinner-appetizers-cocktails-and-summer-treats
Well, it goes back to those antioxidants called
flavonoids that provide these veggies with their color
that the musician Prince (RIP) most certainly ate in
large amounts.

6. Chaga Mushrooms
Usually found in dried or powder form,
chaga isn’t a true mushroom, but a
fungus that grows on birch trees…before
you gross out, remember, all mushrooms
are, technically, a fungus. Derived from
the Russian word for “mushroom,” chaga
contains over 200
phytonutrients and flavonoids that support the immune system. Other
nutrients contained in chaga (which is often used to make tea or
coffee) are B and D vitamins, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and
pantothenic acid.

7. Sacha Inchi Nuts
Also known as Incan peanuts, as they’re
found in the Peruvian highlands. These
plant seeds are a great source of omega-
3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamins A and
E.
These nutrients have been shown to
control blood glucose levels, lower LDL
cholesterol levels and support brain and
heart health.
Eat them out of hand, or add powdered sacha inchi to your
oatmeal, sprinkle it on a salad, or add it to a smoothie.

8. Jackfruit
The tropical, starchy, fibrous jackfruit is the largest
fruit on the globe. A single jackfruit can weigh in at
more than 100 pounds. It can be used by
vegetarians, or even
carnivores and omnivores for that matter, as a meat substitute (Mmmmm,
jackfruit steak). It tends to absorb the flavor of what it’s cooked with and
provides its consumer with various flavonoids, protein, potassium, fiber,
vitamins B and A, and iron.
Think Jackfruit and Durian are the same thing? Think again, and read this
passionate blog post:
http://www.yearofthedurian.com/2013/01/jackfruit-is-not-durian.html
Interested? Read more about jackfruit’s miracle properties on the
Epicurious blog.
http://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/facts-tips-recipe-ideas-jackfruit-
vegan-miracle-food-article

9. Maringa
The tiny leaves of the maringa tree, native to India but also found in
Africa, Asia and South and Central America, are showing up in
smoothies all over the Western world and with good reason.
They are a very nutrient dense source of vitamins A, C, and E, calcium,
protein, potassium and antioxidants that combat stress causing free
radicals within the body.
Moringa Powder is made from naturally-dried moringa leaves. It has a
spinachy green flavor and is: 25% protein. That’s not usual for a plant,
and is great news for vegans. Proteins are one of the important
building blocks for life.

10. Sumac
This Middle Eastern spice (not the “poison” version
we deal with in the U.S.) has a tart and salty taste
and has been found to be stuffed full of antioxidants
and serves as a great salt substitute as well.
These free radical neutralizing, anti-inflammatory
antioxidants also promote heart health. Many simply
sprinkle the red powder on their salads, pasta or
rice, but others use it to flavor their meat and fish as
well.
A woman named Leda Meredith uses the wild
berry pods to make Sumac “lemonade” and
frozen treats.
Read more here!
http://ledameredith.com/tangy-sumac-extract-
cocktails-popsicles/

11. Black Currants
The tart berry, not a dark running river or stream of
electricity…get it?…were once thought to spread a
fungus that killed pine trees (that’s not the case).
They’re most often used in jams, jellies, juices, and health drinks and
contain what all the other foods on this list do…antioxidants, but they also
possess vitamins C, A and E, gamma-linolenic acid, and
anthocyanins. These nutrients help support healthy immune and
cardiovascular systems.
Try out the recipes on this page, if you’re interested in adding these into
your diet. http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/recipes