Nutritional Therapist Reveals the New Trending Superfood
March is here, marking Nutrition Month – an opportunity to reflect on our food choices and the wider conversations around health and wellbeing. ‘Superfoods’ often make headlines as exotic or expensive ingredients, yet many nutritious options are already in our cupboards. With the Japanese Greek yogurt dessert trending across social media, it’s a reminder that everyday staples like Greek yogurt can be superfoods too.
The interest shows no signs of slowing, with Benenden Health reporting a 150% year-on-year increase in searches for ‘superfood examples’. And it’s perhaps no surprise. Superfoods are often seen as exotic, expensive, or overly complicated to add to your diet. This is particularly prevalent on social media, where many talk about how eating more superfoods is boosting their wellbeing and supporting their healthy ageing journey.
It is hard to know what superfoods are with all the various examples online. However, it’s quite simple. A “superfood” is typically described as a food rich in antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds. Although superfoods are often portrayed as rare or exotic, many everyday vegetables and plant-based foods offer the same powerful benefits.
A recent trend I’ve seen of a Japanese dessert made with Greek yoghurt highlights how accessible superfoods can be. They do not need to be a difficult thing to incorporate into our diets, and many people are likely already enjoying foods with superfood benefits without even realising it.
What truly makes a food beneficial isn’t a single nutrient or ingredient, but how it fits into a balanced and varied diet. Nutrient dense foods can be used as building blocks to produce a varied diet of superfoods.
To help you add these foods into your everyday eating habits, here are four tips for building a superfood-rich diet:
1. A variety of vegetables
Naturally packed with antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds that support health when eaten regularly, vegetables are foundational everyday superfoods. A wide variety of vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beetroot, leafy greens, bell peppers, sweet potatoes and asparagus are all cited as superfoods due to their dense nutrient profiles that can aid our health and wellbeing. But their greatest impact comes when they’re a part of a diverse, balanced diet rather than eaten in isolation, so try to eat a variety of nutrient rich vegetables, rather than focusing on any single superfood.
Incorporating more vegetables can be simple and realistic. Swap crisps for a vegetable and dip snack, or make it a habit to include at least one vegetable with every meal, no matter what you’re eating.
2. Anti-oxidant rich berries
Berries are widely recognised as powerful superfoods, due to their high antioxidant content. And while the likes of blueberries and cranberries are great superfood essentials, there are also lesser known varieties that are worth trying to boost your health.
Goji berries and haskap berries are exceptionally rich in antioxidants and help protect cells from oxidative stress, a process caused by harmful molecules that can contribute to ageing and illness.
Haskap berries are particularly potent due to their deep purple skin, which contains high levels of anthocyanins responsible for both their colour and protective benefits.
Notably, both berries contain significantly higher antioxidant levels than blueberries, often seen as the standard for antioxidant-rich fruits.
3. Food rotation
Building meals for health starts with variety, yet as humans we often fall into the habit of eating the same foods on repeat. While routine can feel convenient, it can also limit the range of nutrients we consume.
Focusing on including a wide variety of foods each day and rotating choices week to week helps expand nutrient diversity and supports overall health. A strong foundation of nutrition starts with balanced meals that include vegetables, fruits, whole foods, and enough protein.
Superfoods work best when added to this base, supporting an already varied diet rather than replacing it. Over time, it’s consistency and variety that make every day eating truly beneficial for long-term health.
Simple strategies like “eating the rainbow,” where you choose vegetables of every colour during your grocery shop, or having themed dinner nights, such as Taco Tuesday or Fish Friday, help ensure your meals are varied and that all food groups are included over the course of the week.
4. Enriching diet with quality supplements
Supplements and superfoods work best when used together, not as alternatives.
A nutrient-rich, varied diet built around whole foods and natural superfoods should always form the foundation, with supplements used to fill specific gaps and provide targeted support.
Choosing high-quality, bioavailable vitamins and minerals ensures the body can absorb and use them effectively, enhancing a healthy diet rather than replacing it.
Key supplements to support overall health include:
Vitamin D – essential for bone health, immune function, and mood regulation. Especially important in winter months when sun exposure is limited.
Magnesium – supports enzyme function, cardiovascular health, the nervous system, and energy production.
Probiotics – help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, improving digestion and nutrient absorption from food.
Vitamin C – supports immune health, skin health, and provides antioxidant protection against cellular damage.
Turmeric – offers anti-inflammatory benefits, helping maintain joint health and overall wellbeing, particularly as we age.
There you have it, tips to incorporate super foods into your diet in a manageable and easy way. For more on superfoods visit the Benenden Health website.
Written by Dr Abir Hamza-Goodacre, nutritional therapist at Benenden Hospital