Recently superfoods have been becoming popular amongst consumers. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, superfoods are foods considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being.

These superfoods, such as blueberries, quinoa, and kale, are growing in popularity as people are becoming more health conscious.

LeAnn Nguyen (9) describes how she feels about superfoods

“I think it’s good to have the population be more healthy, because [superfoods] actually [do] help your body and without them your body wouldn’t be the same,” she said.

One of the most popular superfoods are blueberries as they are delicious and nutritious.
Blueberries are rich in potassium and vitamin C and are also full of antioxidants according to WebMD. These nutrition-rich fruits also reduce the chance of having heart attacks for women by around 34% if eaten twice a week according to the Harvard Health Letter.

Amrita Singh (9) explains why blueberries are her favorite superfood.

“They are really sweet and when you get them from the farmer’s market they taste really nice and fresh,” she said.

Another superfood is quinoa, a gluten free grain often used in salads or as a substitute for rice to make various dishes healthier. Quinoa has high protein and fiber levels, along with being mineral rich, containing iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and may reduce the risk of diabetes according to Whole Grains Council.

Connie Valenzuela, member of the kitchen staff, describes how students respond to quinoa and gives her general thoughts on the superfood.

“When we make the different quinoa salads, we do notice that you guys have really liked those and there’s popularity with them,” she said. “It’s a small little grain, but it has so much fiber and so much good stuff in it, so it is like a superfood.”

Last but certainly not least is kale. Kale is commonly used in salads and smoothies. It is full of minerals, containing potassium, iron, and manganese amongst others, along with being rich in Vitamin K and antioxidants according to WebMD.

Ankur Karwal (10) discusses a way to enjoy kale.

“I know kale is supposed to be beneficial. It provides a lot of essential nutrients for the body and then you put it in your smoothie and you mix up everything else for a green smoothie,” he said.

There is a movement towards healthier eating in America with superfoods at the forefront.

“I think it’s a movement towards healthier eating, which is good because America desperately needs a saviour and superfoods is that saviour,” Ankur said.

Monica Thukral (12) talks about how she sees superfoods being used in the future.

“I’m sure that once it has a hook, once there is some sort of scientific backing behind it all sorts of companies are going to take advantage of it and label their products as superfood,” she said.

As superfoods continue to grow in popularity, now and in the future, healthy eating may become more common.