6 Texas-Grown Super Foods for a Super Diet
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I can vividly remember my birthday last year as a warm night with me holding a whiskey glass and singing old childhood songs with friends and family. The rope light added to the warm festive atmosphere that night and helped me space out and think about my health in connection to my diet. As I got enough spirits in me and watched my loved one’s gorge on the food that I and the other guests prepared, I realized that I’m not getting any younger.
Whether it be today, tomorrow, or the month after next, I concluded that there has to be changes made when it comes to the food I ate. I have to admit, I’m going to miss eating beef brisket (What wine goes well with beef brisket?) that has been slow-cooked to juicy perfection but, as they say, health is wealth. And health cannot be solely found on ingesting glorious slices of smoked beef. Everything has to be balanced and taken in moderation.
Mental images of juicy beef aside, I got to looking into super-foods and which ones I can consistently get in and around my area in Texas when the season is just right. Here are some of the super-foods I found that are available within Texas to help me make the change to a Texas-centered super food regimen.
Blackberries
Blackberries (how long do blackberries last?) are one of the superfoods that can be readily available within April to June in Texas. This type of berry easily makes the list of superfoods because it is packed with vitamin c to boost your immunity, vitamin k to help bone metabolism, supports oral health, boosts brain health, fiber to help with digestion, and manganese to aid in collagen development. And if you want to have blackberries in the off-season, you can stock up when they’re in season and make preserves out of it.
Read-up on Texas-grown blackberries (how long do blackberries last?)here
Wild American Elderberries
In season from July through October, the Wild American Elderberry is another good candidate for superfoods that are locally grown in Texas. This particular berry is packed with Vitamin A to improve skin health, anthocyanin antioxidants to boost the body immune system response and supports healthy digestions because of its mild laxative effects. Elderberries are so versatile that I can work with it as a pastry and even process it into a syrup using my grandmother’s family recipe.
Get to know more about Texas-grown elderberries here
Almonds
I once had a phase when I replaced my dairy intake with almond milk (how long does almond milk last?) for some health reasons and I found out later on that apparently, it’s almond juice. Trivia. The more you know, right? This nut is also fairly common in different recipes that span pastries, salads, and a lot of other dishes that’s why it made it to this list. Almonds (how long do almonds last?) are bursting with antioxidants that protect from molecular damage, assist in regulating blood sugar levels, and vitamin E to build up cell membranes in the body. This nut is also one of the most versatile when it comes to cultivation so you can get it in Texas pretty easily.
Collard Greens
Of course, one can’t go wrong with this southern favorite that’s a staple in recipes all over Texas. It’s also available for the majority of the year except for May through September. This superfood makes it to this list because it’s great for lowering cholesterol levels in the body, packed with Vitamin K to aid in calcium absorption and choline that helps in the transmission of nerve impulses throughout the body.
Get to read up on collard greens (how long do collard greens last?)here
Eggs
Some debate that eggs should not be considered a superfood because of their high cholesterol content but, taken in moderation, can be a good source of nutrients to integrate into your superfood regimen. Research suggests that eating up to 6 to 12 eggs a week does not have any measurable increase in the risk of heart problems and diabetes. Whole eggs are packed with phosphorus for cleansing the kidneys, vitamin A to help maintain good eyesight, selenium as a good antioxidant, and a good source of protein for muscle development.
Get to read up on eggs for your superfood diet here
Sweet Potatoes
There was this one time I went to a farmers market and sampled salted sweet potato chips (how long do potato chips last?) and I got to say that this superfood has so much potential when integrating into your diet. It’s also available for most of the year and is straightforward to grow – allowing for abundant supplies in almost all areas of Texas. What made this superfood a part of this list is the benefits the body gets when adding this to your meal regimen. Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A that helps in keeping the eyes in good shape, antioxidants that promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut, and anthocyanins in purple sweet potatoes that help in protecting the brain from free-radical damage.
Get to know Texas-grown sweet potatoes here
To make things exciting, I suggest looking for exotic recipes with these ingredients in mind so that you can cook up a healthy meal after a busy day at work. Since these superfoods are available in Texas, you won’t have trouble finding them at your local farmer's markets or you can ask around from your trusted produce suppliers.
Perusing farmer's markets and checking if the superfoods listed above are in-season is a great way to start and build a working relationship with your local farmers while you continue onto your quest for putting together a super-diet routine that you can plan out for the whole year.
