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I'm sure we've all heard this buzzword getting thrown around. SUPERFOOD! But what exactly makes a food "super"? In the health and fitness industry these foods are simply known as nutrient dense foods. While this isn't as catchy or marketable as the term superfood, it is the basic definition of one. Let's dive into three of the most common superfoods, as well as compare them to their most common antagonists. So let's get into these heroes vs. villains stories.
1. Sweet Potatoes vs. Regular Potatoes 🥔
According to mainstream media, sweet potatoes are the holy grail of all potatoes and any other potato is evil. You're having regular fries with your burger and not sweet potato fries?? Well then you clearly must not care about your health! However once we dig a little deeper we start to notice their micronutrient content is almost identical. When comparing two medium sized baked potatoes (one sweet one regular) the only micronutrient that makes a sweet potato the clear winner is Vitamin A. When referring to the percent daily recommended intake, the sweet potato had a whopping 438% serving of Vitamin A while the regular potato had 0%. That's it. Once the rest of the micronutrient content was examined, every other number was within 10% or less of one another. These included Vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, iron, and phosphorous. So in the end, making your potato "super" will come down more to how you prepare it and making sure your serving size is appropriate.
2. Whole Eggs vs. Egg Whites 🍳
Adding additional servings of egg whites to your regular whole eggs can be a great way to increase your protein intake without adding unwanted fats and calories from extra yolks. However, over the years this narrative has changed into basically making whole eggs (specifically egg yolks) evil. You're having your breakfast sandwich with whole eggs and not just egg whites?? Well then you clearly must not care about your health! Again, once we dig a little deeper, the story changes. While eating egg whites is seen as "healthy", all of the health benefits actually lies in the yolk. Even though egg whites carry most of the protein and a bit of B vitamins, it is actually the yolk that carries all the rest of the vitamins and minerals, as well as being a great source of Omega-3's. So, if you want extra protein feel free to increase the egg whites, but don't feel like you can't afford to have one or two yolks. Let's not lie to ourselves and pretend plain egg whites taste good.
3. Tea vs. Coffee ☕
Perhaps the most fierce competition out of this list is tea vs coffee. With tea being the sophisticated hero and coffee the rugged villain. You're having an afternoon coffee as opposed to tea?? Well you clearly must not care about your health! But what exactly makes tea "healthier"? When comparing a plain cup of coffee to a plain cup of tea, health benefits were found in both drinks (both aid your microbiome, focus, and general health). Neither drink was found to be harmful. HOWEVER, coffee has become a bit more trendy. Leading to seasonal (high sugar) variations of the drink to become the norm. Pumpkin spice lattes in the fall, peppermint coffees in the winter, Irish cream coffees in the spring, you get the idea. The reality is that the "healthiness" or in this case "unhealthiness" of these drinks come down to two things: preparation and timing. Adding high calorie sweeteners and creams to either drink will cause it to be unhealthy. Having caffeinated variations of either drink too late in the day can disrupt your sleep. So feel free to enjoy whichever drink you prefer. I personally enjoy a hot caffeinated coffee in the am and a warm caffeine free tea at night.
So to conclude, the moral of this story is, don't believe every buzzword you see!
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