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11 Superfoods Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2020

Photo credit: Katie Buckleitner
Photo credit: Katie Buckleitner

From Cosmopolitan

TBH, no one expects you to quit your cup o’ noodle habit in 2020.

But in case you’re curious about the healthy sh*t people will be hyping up next year, I’m breaking down the trendy superfoods that’ll be getting lots of attention. Kale whomst?

And because you might want to apply this knowledge by eating, you’ll also find basic ways to throw all that healthy food into your regularly scheduled meals.

Let’s veg out.


1. Anything Fermented

Fermented foods, aka foods containing microorganisms like bacteria and yeast, are the number one superfood trend for 2020, according to a nutrition report by Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian.

But they’re not exactly a groundbreaking concept: Yogurt, pickles, kombucha, miso, and kimchi are all fermented foods that you’ve probably eaten in the past week, right? The good news is that these eats contain natural probiotics (aka good bacteria) that can improve digestion and your immunity, says registered dietitian Pamela Nisevich-Bede, author of Eat. Sweat. Repeat.

Eat it: Add a couple spoonfuls of kimchi or sauerkraut to sandwiches or salads and sip on kombucha instead of soda. You can also add yogurt and kefir to your smoothies, says dietitian Alexandra Oppenheimer Delvito, vice president of Pollock Communications.

2. Avocado

Toast may have made her famous in the early days of Instagram, but keto is keeping the fatty green fruit relevant.

Obviously, creamy avocado tastes damn good, but it also contains almost 20 essential vitamins and nutrients and is a particularly good source of unsaturated fats, fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and B vitamins, says Oppenheimer Delvito. Is there anything it can’t do?

Eat it: In addition to the basic toast, Oppenheimer Delvito likes adding avo to salads, egg sandwiches, and smoothies. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can also blend it into homemade pesto or bake it into brownies.

3. Seeds

Thanks to the keto diet and (probs) Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning, this fatty staple is having a moment. “Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and good ol’ chia all provide healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein,” says Oppenheimer Delvito.

Eat it: If you haven’t yet, buy yourself a bottle of Everything but the Bagel stat. Just trust me. Then, stock up on any kinds of seeds you like and add them to salads and grain dishes for crunchy goodness. You can also make chia seed pudding or add a spoonful of chia seeds to oatmeal to up the fiber and protein.

4. Adaptogens

Stressed? Cool, same. These natural substances found in herbs, roots, and funguses may help the body adapt (heh, get it?) to stress in a healthy way, says Rebekah Blakely, dietitian for The Vitamin Shoppe.

Popular options include ashwagandha (which Blakely says may help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol), rhodiola, ginseng, and cordyceps mushrooms.

Eat it: Add ashwagandha or cordyceps powder to your morning smoothie or coffee. Or treat yourself to a bag of Four Sigmatic Adaptogen Coffee, which contains ashwagandha.


5. Pulses

Whether you’re freaked out by climate change or you just like those vegan Burger King burgers, plant-based everything is in. (FYI: Every superfood on the 2020 trends list is plant based.)

The stars of pretty much any plant-based diet are pulses, which include peas, lentils, and beans that provide loads of fiber, carbs, and protein. This nutrient balance can help stabilize your blood sugar and improve digestion. Both good things, right?

Eat it: Next time you’re at the drive-through (no judgment), order yourself that Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger. Or just stock up on chickpea pasta or canned beans and throw ’em into your salad, soup, or pasta instead of (or in addition to) meat.

6. Exotic Fruit

These aren’t like your regular fruit—they’re cool, Insta-bait fruit. “Exotic fruits like kiwi, star fruit, and dragon fruit provide the same fiber, vitamins, and minerals as local fruit,” says Oppenheimer Delvito. “But because of their vibrant colors, they may also offer different phytonutrients, making them a great way to add variety to your diet.”

Plus, they’re cool!

Eat it: Pretend you’re an influencer and decorate your next smoothie or oatmeal bowl with slices of dragon fruit and star fruit. They also make for super-pretty smoothies.

7. Beets

Dwight Schrute’s favorite food is finally getting the love it deserves. “There’s so much emerging research on the benefits of beets for exercise and recovery,” says Oppenheimer Delvito. That’s because the pink root veggie is rich in inflammation-fighting antioxidants and nitrates, or compounds that boost blood flow.

Eat it: Many supermarkets now sell fresh beets, bottled beet juices, and packages of marinated, ready-to-eat beets. Oppenheimer Delvito recommends adding them to salads, especially with feta, or throwing them into a smoothie. (Seriously, just throw everything into smoothies.) If you really dig how beets taste, chug a cup of juice before your next HIIT class.

8. Green Tea and Matcha

Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard this is a thing that’s good for you—not exactly groundbreaking stuff. But matcha (which is made by grinding green tea leaves, so basically green tea on steroids) is still going strong.

“Matcha has less caffeine than coffee and provides natural l-theanine, an amino acid that helps you focus without the jitters,” says Blakely. Also, it’s cool!

Green tea has long been famous for being crazy-high in antioxidants, and matcha contains more than 100 times more antioxidants than the traditional stuff, adds registered dietitian Rachael DeVaux, the blogger behind Rachael’s Good Eats.

Eat it: Next time you make a Starbucks run, order a green tea or matcha latte instead of your usual double shot. Or make your own matcha latte by blending 8 to 12 ounces of milk with a teaspoon of matcha powder and a teaspoon of pure maple syrup, recommends Blakely. Just saved you $6. You’re welcome.

9. Turmeric

Constant stress and ubiquitous environmental factors, like pollution, mean we’re pretty much all inflamed rn. Enter this root, which has been used as medicine in India and China for centuries. According to research published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, curcumin—the active antioxidant in turmeric—may help protect heart, immune, and metabolic health.

Eat it: Blakely likes to top scrambled eggs and spinach with turmeric spice and black pepper (which helps you absorb turmeric). You can also make a golden latte by blending your favorite milk with a packet of Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Golden Latte Mix.

10. MCTs

Keto has made pretty much all fats popular, especially medium-chain triglycerides (aka MCTs) found in coconut oil, palm-kernel oil, and even some dairy products.

Your body digests and absorbs these fats differently than others. “MCTs are transported to our lymphatic system and put to work as an energy source quickly,” explains Nisevich-Bede. The result: They’re less likely to be stored as fat than other types of fat are—and they don’t spike your blood sugar the way carbohydrates do.

Although MCTs got famous as a keto diet staple, you don’t have to be in ketosis mode to get the benefits.

Eat it: You’ll get some MCTs from coconut oil—but you can also buy bottles of flavorless isolated MCT oil. Add a teaspoon or two to your oatmeal, smoothies, dips (like guac or hummus), or salad dressings for a little extra oomph.

11. Microgreens

These are basically the baby versions of the good-for-you greens you already know about, like kale, spinach, and mustard greens, says Oppenheimer Delvito.

Packed with vitamins and minerals, microgreens are becoming easier to find at grocery stores and will be a fun, flavorful way to make your meals healthier in 2020, says registered dietitian Jenna A. Bell, PhD, vice president of nutritional science for sustainable agriculture group CropOne.

Eat it: Add fresh microgreens to your salads or grains, stir them into pasta, or sprinkle them on top of eggs or avocado toast, suggests Oppenheimer Delvito. You can also drink them down with a greens powder like Athletic Greens (which tastes zero percent like fish tank).

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