101 Best Superfoods Series

You may have heard the term "Super food" being tossed around in some health blogs. But what exactly is a Super food? Super foods are whole foods that are not processed, so they retain more of their balanced combination of nutrients that nature gave them. These nutrients include a mix of the essentials- fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other familiar nutrients that our bodies require to function properly and maintain good health. Super foods also include various natural plant substances called phytonutrients that play an important role in reducing health ailments such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. The best way to capture all of these benefits is to eat a variety of whole foods. This series will help you choose which super foods you should be including in your diet. Lets get to it...

Today's Super food is Almonds. Almonds are nutrient-rich seeds from the fruit of the almond tree. Almonds are a nutrient powerhouse. Ounce for ounce, they are one of the most nutrient dense tree nuts. They are loaded with protein, fiber, and healthy monounsaturated fats providing lasting energy, benefit heart health and overall wellness, and even help reduce the risk of cancer.

Almonds are a great source of Vitamin E and magnesium and provide calcium and B Vitamins as well. Almonds are offered in both the shell and out of the shell. You can find them whole, sliced, slivered, raw, roasted, smoked, flavored, salted and unsalted. In the shell they can keep fresh for months. Once you shell them or open the package of almonds with the shell removed, you should place them in the refrigerator or freeze them if you are not going to eat them right away. Also be sure to check out almond butter as a healthier substitute to peanut butter. Almonds are definitely one superfood you want to keep in your rotation. Thanks for reading.