Trends be gone. These five ultra antioxidant-rich and ancient superfood ingredients are staples in our pantries and our beauty routines, and they're here to stay.
Double Cacao Granola with Brazil Nut Milk (VG)
Cacao
The most recognizable superfood on our list is cacao. Not to be confused with cocoa, its highly processed counterpart, cacao is a raw, pure form of chocolate. In its natural state, cacao is not sweet at all and instead has a super rich, earthy chocolate flavor. Native to Central America and parts of Mexico, cacao was used as far back as 5000 years ago. It is said that cacao is 40x more antioxidant rich than blueberries, is one of the highest plant-based sources of iron, has more calcium than cow's milk, and is full of magnesium to promote both heart and brain health.
Cacao is also the ultimate mood food. It contains compounds called polyphenols which decrease anxiety and encourage calmness. Although science hasn't exactly proven it, our research has found we definitely feel better after a bit of dark chocolate.
Moringa
The lesser known superfood in our five favorites list, moringa is a drought-resistant tree that is native to the southern foothills in the Himalayas. This super-tree has culinary, beauty, and medicinal uses from almost every part including its roots, bark, fruit, flowers, and leaves.
We were introduced to moringa by clean beauty brand True Moringa. We love their Simplicity Facial Oil that we feature as a perk in our Commit to Clean program. Similar to the oil your skin produces naturally, moringa oil is an ideal multi-tasking moisturizer for all hair and skin types - balancing oily and combination skin and deeply nourishing dry skin. They work with 2500 small farming families throughout Ghana to cultivate moringa trees and cold-press their own oil in-country. In fact, last year they launched the largest certified organic moringa farm on the African continent and are planting one million moringa trees to combat deforestation and malnutrition in Ghana.
Moringaroons (VG, P)
Since learning about the plant, we've been obsessed with its culinary uses as well. Rich in protein, moringa is also a good source of iron and vitamins B6, C, and A. In addition, it has antioxidants quercetin and chlorogenic acid which help to lower blood pressure and moderate blood sugar. The plant has also been known to promote lactation for breastfeeding moms, lower cholesterol, and reduce inflammation.
Our team regularly make matcha moringa lattes in our office and are excited to feature the powder in our Moringaroons snack on our new spring menu.
Tiger Nuts
Similar to peanuts, tiger nuts are not really nuts at all. Originating in Africa, tiger nuts are small tubers or root vegetables. One of the most ancient superfoods on our list, tiger nuts are pre-historic and are believed to have been around in the Paleolithic era - over 1 million years ago! In addition, they are also considered one of the oldest cultivated plants in Ancient Egypt.
Said to prevent heart disease and improve digestion, tiger nuts have a slightly sweet, mild nutty flavor. They are full of minerals phosphorus and potassium, as well as antioxidant vitamins E and C. Our chefs will be featuring Tiger Nut Milk, similar to Spain's horchata de chufa, in a new granola dish this spring.
Matcha
Matcha Chia Pudding with Passion Fruit and Cacao (VG)
With over 100x more antioxidants than green tea, matcha is all the rage in health and wellness these days. But what exactly is it? Matcha is the finely ground powder of green tea leaves. Unlike traditional green tea, the plants grown for matcha are covered with cloth before harvesting to encourage the plant to produce more of the amino acid theanine which is responsible for it's umami flavor. Traditionally used in Japanese Tea Ceremonies, matcha in modern times has become so common that matcha lattes can now be found almost at every coffee shop in New York City.
The main reason for its upgrade are the amazing health benefits. Full of polyphenols, its antioxidants help to protect against heart disease and cancer, reduce blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, and boost metabolism.
We are super excited to feature matcha in our new Yuzu Poppyseed Pound Cake and Matcha Chia Pudding with Passion Fruit. Both use ceremonial grade and USDA Organic Certified matcha sourced from Shizuoka, Japan from our perk partner CAP Beauty.
Chia
Native to Latin America, this ancient plant is part of the mint family and has been cultivated for over 500 years. In the 1980s chia made a comeback in the US with the sale of Chia Pets. But in recent years, this super seed has become a health and wellness staple. The seeds are an incredible source of thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and folate. They also have high amount of dietary minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. Plus they are loaded with fiber. Our culinary nutritionists and health-supportive chefs feature a chia pudding each week on our clean eats menu.
Not only do we love this seed in our eating routine, we also love it for its super-beauty side. Considered one of the best botanical sources of fatty acids, it helps moisturize the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines. One of our favorite brands, Maya Chia, uses chia seed oil as a base in their products. One of our favorites is their Super Couple Serum. A multi-correctional high-performance ultra luxe oil, they combine chia with one of the world’s most powerful antioxidants, astaxanthin; an anti-aging powerhouse that combat the appearance of dull, tired, aging skin.
