WOOLIES DIETICIAN CINDY CHIN ON SUPERFOODS

There’s no scientific definition. The idea of a ‘superfood’ is a food that’s perceived to provide a superior nutritional benefit compared to other foods due to high levels of a particular set of nutrients that can supposedly help with a certain health issue.

The potential problem with elevating the credentials of certain foods over others is that some people may have unrealistic expectations about the benefits of eating these foods to cure or prevent certain diseases, without necessarily changing the rest of their diet or lifestyle.

There’s also the consideration that eating too much of one type of food may not provide the diversity of nutrients needed for a healthy diet. Eating too much of one type of food may prevent you from getting the nutrients you need e.g. if you’re relying on juicing to get your greens, you may not be leaving room to eat other foods to provide enough essential nutrients. 

Many people love the idea of a quick fix, that eating one or two ‘superfoods’ may be all that’s needed without changing the rest of their diet and lifestyle. It’s also influenced to a large extent by newsworthy food trends and media attention. It sometimes stems from early but unsubstantiated scientific research that usually needs to be studied in more detail and tested more robustly. 

There are plenty of leafy greens and collards that contain a wide variety of beneficial nutrients besides kale. The key is to eat a variety of fruit and veg along with a balanced diet.

A wide and colourful variety of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, legumes, pulses, 2-3 servings of fish per week especially oily fish, plant-based fats like avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Variety is important to get a diversity of beneficial nutrients. Food must be delicious!

Consistency and looking at one’s overall eating pattern is most important, with a trend towards making better choices. There’s never one meal that will make or break your health.

Cultivating a healthy relationship with food is essential. It’s unsustainable and unrealistic to take an ‘all or nothing approach’ or to try to cut out certain food groups, and categorising food as good or bad can create an unhealthy cycle of guilt and failure, besides negatively affecting diet diversity.