Top 5 common healthy Superfood staples

Eating well and healthy, whether at home or while travelling, doesn’t have to be expensive – and it doesn’t mean having to consume some ‘trendy’ and overpriced green leafy vegetables to be and stay healthy.

There are plenty of affordable healthy superfoods to suit every kind of diet and lifestyle. The problem comes to access – not every place will have the staples that you need, especially as you travel from country to country with different diets and trade availability.

Here are some fantastic common superfoods that you can readily find mostly around the world and can easily make as part of a healthy meal and lifestyle.

Oats are a nutritional powerhouse that are cheap and commonly found around the world.

Low in calories, oats they provide a great source of fibre to keep your bowel movements regular and gut healthy, along with helping to lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. Oats are a great source of protein, along with being rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.

Oats are a quick and easy meal that offer limitless ingredient and topping options such as honey, cinnamon, nuts and seeds, bananas, apples – anything! It’s often thought as a sweet meal but it can savoury as well. Not only that, they can be used in biscuits, breads, flatbreads, muffins, and smoothies.

The typical kinds of oats available are:

Fine rolled oats:

Fine oats are processed by being finely cut, steamed and rolled. This allows more water to be absorbed much more easily and cooked faster – you can pour boiled water into a bowl of fine oats and cover it with a lid for a few minutes and it will be ready to eat. They can also be cooked quicker in the microwave. They tend to have a ‘creamier’ taste.

Fine oats are a good substitute for binding ingredients together, for example, if you’re making meatballs (instead of using breadcrumbs).

Wholegrain oats:

These are less processed than rolled oats. Wholegrain oats are steamed then rolled, but still maintain their large shape compared to fine oats. They tend to have more of a nutty texture. They take a lot longer to cook and stove top cooking is more ideal and efficient.

Steel cut oats:

The least processed, steel cut oats take longer to cook and produces a thicker, granular texture which makes digestion slower, allowing better blood sugar control and satiety where your stomach feels full for a longer period. They take the most time to cook.

Steel cut oats tend to be more expensive than the other types of processed oats.

Remember the ratio for making oats with a liquid, whether it’s water or milk:

Fine oats and wholegrain oats: 1:2, for example, half a cup of oats with one cup of water. You can use more or less water, depending on your thickness preference.

Steel cut oats, it is 1:4 (or 3½ for a creamier taste).

Beans are a versatile kind of pulse that’s great on their own, in soups, salads or mashed up or processed into some kind of patty with other ingredients.

Beans are nutritious, high in protein, fibre, antioxidants, help with stabilising blood sugar levels, and contains important minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

Cooking from dry beans is more time-consuming but often more delicious, but canned varieties are still great and convenient.

Often overlooked and underappreciated, lentils are incredibly tasty, versatile and affordable on any budget. Lentils are low in calories, rich in fibre, protein and has plenty of important vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, iron. Magnesium, and folate.

Part of the pulses group (that also includes beans and peas), there are many different kinds of lentils found across the world but the most common kind of lentils you can find in typical supermarkets are red, brown or green lentils.

Red lentils

Red lentils are fantastic in soups and stews as they break down into mush easier than the other lentils. This gives a soup a thicker consistency and making it tastier in the process thanks to the mild, slightly sweet flavour.

As red lentils tend to be already split, they cook a lot faster than most other lentils – taking around 10-15 minutes. You can use 2:1 ratio for cooking red lentils; Use one to one and a half of cup of water to one cup of red lentils on the stove top.

Brown and Green lentils

Brown and green lentils are great in salads, stews, and even in vegan or vegetarian pasta sauce, especially since they maintain their shape after cooking.

Brown and green lentils do take a lot longer to cook than red lentils (around 30 minutes – a lot of websites say 15-20 minutes but my experience it’s closer to 30 minutes if you want the lentils to not be too solid when eating them).

Use the 4:1 ratio; for every one cup of brown or green lentils, use four cups of water to cook them on a stove top. You can also three cups – four cups are to ensure the lentils don’t burn in the pot due to lack of water.

Chickpeas are incredibly versatile, inexpensive, and easy to use in many recipes (falafel, salads, hummus, dips, curries). They’re worth experimenting with!

This kind of legume is rich in protein, fibre, helps with heart health and controlling sugar levels along with containing important vitamins and minerals that include B vitamins, iron, folate, and manganese.

Like beans, chickpeas take hours to properly cook so canned chickpeas are a more convenient option.

Fried, scrambled, poached or boiled – eggs are great no matter they are cooked and however they are included in a meal.

Eggs are a good source of vitamins such as A, D, E and K, minerals such as iron and zinc, along with being a great source of ‘complete‘ protein (found mostly in the egg white), meaning they contain all the essential amino acids that the human body can’t synthesise.

The egg yolk contains cholesterol so moderation is key regarding eggs (though it’s better to have a low saturated fat diet when it comes to blood cholesterol health).

Many different seeds and nuts are great, although they can be expensive depending on the variety.

Seeds like pumpkin, flaxseed, sunflower, and chia are versatile in various dishes.

Nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts and peanuts (it’s technically a legume) are great as part of a trail mix.

Because of the fat content, seeds and nuts tend to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Seeds and nuts are a great fibre source and healthy monounsaturated and omega polyunsaturated fats, antioxidants, along with protein, important vitamins and minerals such as B1, B2, B3, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and zinc.

Like most foods, it’s best to eat seeds and nuts in moderation due to their high fat content.

Summary

Whether you’re travelling or at home, here are some great readily available and common foods across the world that are nutritious and affordable.

• Oats: Highly affordable, versatile and a powerhouse of nutrition.
• Beans: Great for your gut and for your wallet!
• Lentils: Under-appreciated but so delicious and versatile.
• Chickpeas: Affordable and full of protein.
• Eggs: Delicious and nutritious no matter how you like it cooked.
• Various seeds & nuts : Great as part of a trail mix for long or all day adventures.

Are there other delicious and affordable superfoods that is readily available around the world – easily available foods that you would recommend for people?

Let others and myself know in the comments below.

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