The Ultimate List Of All Superfoods (A Comprehensive Guide)

Superfoods.

Their name is trendy. Superfood offers are constantly showing up in your Facebook newsfeed, marketing incredible healing claims.

Superfoods are often associated with centuries worth of empirical backing.

But do superfoods really do all that marketers claim they do?

The truth is somewhere in the middle (don’t worry, I’m going to get us there).

Superfoods are medicinal, but only if you understand the ‘which and when’ aspect of them.

I’m going to talk to you about superfoods and blast through a number of superfood marketing myths.

I’m also going to reveal to you my ultimate superfoods list.

But first, you need to understand all the basics (remember, marketers, hope that you don’t understand the core information).

Let’s go! (here’s a handy table of contents to help you dive into this wealth of information)

What Are Superfoods?

Ah…the million dollar question. Well, it all comes down to confusing marketing (I will get to that, hold your pineapples please)…

What are superfoods, anyways?

We constantly are inundated by the term, but do we really understand what it means?

Superfoods are foods that are considered more nutritionally dense than other foods. Superfoods are mostly plants, but fish, and even sometimes red meat and fats, are labeled as ‘superfoods.’

The term is less scientific and more a loose adjective that describes a powerfully nutritional edible.

Because there are no true boundaries for the superfood label, marketers are able to run wild with the term.

They can apply it to anything.

Some superfoods might be considered superfoods because of one or two potent nutritional ingredients. Fish is a wonderful example. Fish is often loaded with Omega 3 Fatty Acids. This is why some people call fish a superfood.

Coconut oil contains healthy linoleic acid and MCT fat. Two chemical aspects only, but extraordinarily powerful in their output.

Spinach is a superfood by default of its dense nutritional makeup. Its loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Superfood Key Points

Superfood Scams

Now that we understand that the superfood name has no scientifically formal restrictions, it is time to talk about superfood scams.

It seems almost weekly that we are inundated with some new superfood.

Why is this?

Well, two reasons…

Superfoods are often discovered due to changing science

Science is ever-changing and ever-evolving. That’s a great thing for human health.

We constantly discover new nutrients that help us stave off cancer, or relieve a common cold, or make us less prone to degenerative brain diseases.

When science finds such nutrients, it only makes sense that they look for sources fo that nutrient.

That typically results in a plant.

Some superfoods are discovered in less populated regions of the world.

When a superfood is discovered in a remote part of Russia, it might be an edible plant that is filled with a variety of minerals and vitamins.

Marketers invent superfoods for the sake of profit

Sometimes marketers simply invent a superfood. Point blank, they create a scammy superfoods marketing page that has a basis in no science or common sense.

They prey upon people who might be sick, or suffering from a terminal illness.

They pitch their “new superfood discovery” to those who don’t understand superfoods.

Marketers also tend to ride waves of trending science.

For example, Acai Berry is a superfood. But marketers ruined it by making too many outlandish claims and offering products that hardly contained Acai Berry at all.

Marketing is a great thing. Our superfood site wouldn’t exist without some intelligent marketing behind it. But complete scams have saturated an otherwise promising and science-based industry.

Superfood marketing scams are a major reason I wrote this superfood list guide.

I’m coming clean. I’m selling out scams. I’m whistleblowing.

List of Superfoods

Below is a comprehensive list of superfoods. My superfoods list is divided up categorically to help make it more digestible (yes, pun intended).

I keep my superfoods list updated based on the latest superfood news, however, don’t be shy in your comments. If you feel something is missing, shout it out in our comments section!

Superfood Vegetables

Vegetables are typically designated as edible plants found on land (this will make more sense in the next section).

Vegetables often offer an array of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Additionally, they often contain a lot of healthy fiber.

But not every vegetable meets the superfood criteria. Truthfully, most vegetables are good for us. But some are more nutritionally dense than others (hence, the superfood name).

In America and all over the world, “vegetables” are a rather obvious, well-known genre of superfoods, so let’s look at our vegetable superfoods list.

Cauliflower

The superfood cauliflower is low in calories but extremely high in nutrients and fiber.

Vitamin K and vitamin C are two of the more notable nutrients present in cauliflower.

Cauliflower mimics the texture of a potatoes, but with less carbs/calories and more fiber and nutrients.

You can make cauliflower pizza dough or mash “potatoes.”

Its not too often found in superfood drinks, so typically, you have to find ways to get it in your diet through recipes.

Spinach

Spinach is probably the most popular superfood ever.

Popeye wasn’t eating all that canned spinach for no good reason, he knew that the dense nutrient environment that spinach meant more energy and stamina.

Spinach is loaded with iron, among countless other nutrients.

It’s easy to eat via salads, but can also be blended into superfood drinks rather easily.

Watercress

Most people have no idea what watercress is, but that doesn’t mean it is a superfood.

Loaded with fiber and vitamins A and C, this low calorie superfood can enhance anyone’s health plan.

Kale

Kale.

Yuck.

Not everyone loves kale, but surely we’ve all heard of it. You can eat it in a salad raw, but it’s a bit tougher than commonly used spinach.

Kale, like spinach, is an ultimate superfood option. You can bake it into chips. Believe it or not, both spinach and kale can have more nutritional benefits after being exposed to heat.

Science is awesome.

Broccoli

The superfood broccoli is a powerhouse nutritional experience.

The stuff is crazy good for you.

Folic acid, potassium, fiber, the list goes on.

In the raw form, it’s not easy to eat. Its great cooked. It’s best to blend it into a superfood drink if you want it in the raw form.

Rutabaga

What the heck is a rutabaga?

It sounds like a weird late night work out program, but its actually a root vegetable and it is extremely good for you.

Manganese, potassium and calcium are three nutritional staples of rutabaga. It can help lower blood sugar and improve digestion, among many other things.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is another superfood leafy green vegetable that is often overlooked.

It is loaded with Vitamins C, A, and K.

Its great in salads, but firmer than spinach. It can be sautéed. It can be blended into a superfood drink.

Collard Greens

Collard greens are a superfood leafy green vegetable that can help the human body detoxify. You will often find it as an ingredient in a superfood drink recipe.

It tastes good on its own, but I enjoy it more when it is mixed in salad or a superfood drink recipe.

Superfood Sea Vegetables

In the United States, your doctor will often tell you how important it is to eat vegetables. But how many doctors stress the health benefits of eating superfood sea vegetables?

Not many.

Most of the time, people talking about vegetables are talking about land plants.

But superfood sea vegetables are some of the healthiest things you can eat.

Benefits of sea vegetables

Sea vegetables are loaded with calcium, iron, and potassium. They are also rich in alginic acid, an ingredient known for its ability to leech onto toxic heavy metals.

Yes, this means that sea vegetables can have a detoxifying effect.

Sea vegetables are also a great source of essential iodine.

What are sea vegetables?

In simplistic terms, sea vegetables are seaweed. You can get your fill of them at a sushi restaurant. They also tend to be sold baked as popular “seaweed chips.”

Wakame

Wakame is loaded with iron, magnesium, and iodine.

Nori

Nori has more vitamin C than an orange, go figure!

Arame

Loaded with essential iron, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

Hijiki

Hijiki is loaded with fiber and vitamin K.

Dulse

Dulse has high amounts of potassium, iron, chromium and magnesium.

Superfood Fruits

Superfood fruits are likely the most popular genre on my superfoods list.

Fruits are popular because they often taste really good, particularly due to their increased sugar content.

Superfood Fruits…not so super?

Superfood fruits are often the subject of relentless criticism over their sugar content.

Yes, sugar in large doses is not great for you!

No, drinking orange juice all day isn’t good for your blood sugar!

But fruits have been part of human evolution for countless centuries.

Eat fruits, don’t drink them.

Limit high sugar fruits, don’t avoid them entirely.

The common sense approach always wins…

Blueberry

Blueberries are a true superfood due to their high antioxidant content. They are also known to lower damage inflicted on DNA.

Kiwi

You will find lots of vitamin C, K, and E in the green peel of the kiwi

So don’t peel them!

Acai Berry

The acai berry is one of the most controversial superfoods of our time. I touched on this earlier in my superfoods list guide.

They are loaded with antioxidants and are a true superfood, but devious marketers have tainted the name.

Real, raw, acai berry is a powerful infusion for human health, make no mistake about it.

Strawberry

Strawberries offer incredible immune health benefits, namely due to their high vitamin C content.

Blackberry

The blackberry is tart and often shoved aside for the more fun tasting blueberry, but the blackberry certainly holds its own when it comes to superfood contention.

They are another great source of vitamin C and brain boosting flavonoids.

Yep, the blackberry can make you sharper and smarter.

Apples

An apple a day…

Dietary fiber, flavonoids, and antioxidants, all wrapped up in the apple’s wonderful taste.

Apples are great to eat raw, or use to sweeten up a superfood drink recipe.

Bananas

Bananas are a superfood, we just forget how powerful they are because of their mainstream popularity.

Marketers can’t “market” the banana.

But you can grab them from your local market and eat them right when you get home.

The super green ones are a heavier source of vital prebiotic starch (that’s a pro superfood tip right there).

Grapefruit

Grapefruits are immune boosters due to their vitamin C content.

Citrus fruits, in general, are good for immunity.

Grapefruits are also a great tasting source of antioxidants.

Cherries

Cherries help lower instances of gout and arthritis.

They also improve sleep for those who may struggle with insomnia.

They are even said to help the post-workout soreness.

Yep, cherries are an awesome superfood.

Cantaloupe

Wait, cantaloupes are healthy?

Yep, they most certainly are.

Cantaloupes contain antioxidants, folate, and vitamin C.

And they taste amazing. They do wonders for superfood drink recipes (trust me, try it and you will be amazed.

Cranberries

I think most people realize that cranberries are good for the urinary tract.

The antioxidants in cranberries help stave off evil bacterias that intend to do harm to our urinary tracts.

Cranberries are UTI stoppers.

Dragon Fruit

This feels very Game of Thrones…

But nope, the dragon fruit is real.

Dragon fruit is high in fiber and helps boost gut health. It is also known to help people with low iron.

Oranges

Oranges are loaded with vitamin C, everyone knows that. They are in incredible immunity booster.

I could go on and on here, but the benefits of oranges is well known and well documented.

My only recommendation is to eat the orange whole and avoid orange juices which tend to spike blood sugar.

Avocados

Avocados are a superfood fruit (yes, I know, they seem like glorified veggies, but they are actually a part of the fruit family). They have essential healthy fats that are good for the brain (and so much more).

Not everyone loves eating an avocado, however, let me tell you how wonderful avocadoes are when used as a superfood drink base.

Most people think of bananas or milk as the best superfood base. But the avocado is a super healthy option to thicken up your superfood drink’s texture. In fact, using avocado as a base along with some cacao powder can turn a superfood drink into a healthy “shake.”

Pumpkin

I tend to focus more on pumpkin seeds than the entire pumpkin.

Pumpkin seeds are loaded with omega 3 fatty acids. They are also an amazing fiber source.

Pumpkin seeds tasted good and can be found in lots of markets in either their raw format or roasted.

Superfood Meat

Meat is a superfood?

I thought meat was bad?

Meat, when it comes from natural sources, is often great for your health.

The problem is, many meats are derived from mass production farms. Animals are force-fed grains, given antibiotics and hormones, all for the sake of fattening the animal up and increasing profits.

But man has eaten animals as long as man has been man.

There are a number of superfood meats that you should be aware of…

Grass-fed Beef

Grass-fed beef, much like its counterpart grass-fed butter, is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.

Grass-fed beef will have a less fatty profile due to not being a cornfed animal. But the fat it does have will be loaded with vitamin K.

You can tell a grass-fed meat, by the way, it appears darker in color tone and trimmer in terms of fat (specifically, you will not find much fat intertwining the middle sections of the meat). The fat it has will be located on the exterior.

Natural fish

Most seafood is an amazing source of Omega 3 fatty acid. It is also lower in overall fat and calories.

Societies, such as the Japanese, who rely on fish in their diet have lower instances of heart disease and degenerative diseases.

Elk

Elk is typically not a farmed animal, which means it eats off the land. This means it isn’t force fed grains.

Elk is typically a trim mean and great source of protein.

Superfood Fats

Remember when fat was bad?

Yes, so do I.

That was one of the terrible mistakes in American health history.

People ceased eating fat and loaded up on refined sugars instead.

There are two components of food that make it palatable.

• Fat
• Sugar

Without either, your food is going to taste terrible.

Fat has made a comeback. More and more people are discovering how truly healthy natural fats can be.

IMPORTANT WARNING…

I’m not talking about nasty trans fats found in fried foods.

I’m not talking about fat added to crappy chain restaurant meals.

I’m talking about straight up natural powerhouse fats (like the following).

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is as medicinal as any superfood you will ever encounter.

But one of the most notable health benefits with coconut oil is the fact that it speeds up your metabolism.

Coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride fat. MCT fat boosts the immune system.

And if that weren’t enough, coconut oil is great for the hair and skin when used as a moisturizer. It can also act to help stave off sunburn.

Coconut oil’s superfood prowess cannot be summed up in a small content block.

Grass-fed butter

Grass-fed butter, such as Kerrygold butter, is loaded with omega 3 fatty acid.

Yes, this means the butter you use can be just as healthy as eating salmon.

Who knew?

Well, me, for starters (which is why I wrote this superfoods list guide).

Its also high in vitamin K due to the fact that the cows it is sourced from are eating grass!

You can replace your heavy creamer you put in your coffee with Kerrygold butter and boost your fat loss potential each day.

Not sure grass-fed butter works in a superfood drink recipe, so maybe just use it in your coffee and cooking.

Flaxseed oil

Flaxseed oil is high in omega 3 fatty acids.

It’s a great vegan option to grass-fed butter, but without the expedited metabolic benefits.

Fish oil

Rather than eat fish, you can get your omega 3 fatty acid directly from the source.

It doesn’t always taste good.

It can leave you with heartburn and bad breath.

But if you can get it down, fish oil is a powerful superfood option.

Vegan Sources May Underwhelm…

My superfoods list guide isn’t about to dive too deeply into controversy.

That said, I do want to point something out.

When it comes to omega 3 fatty acid, some of the science “isn’t so clear” when it comes to vegan sources such as pumpkin and flaxseed.

In fact, a recent Harvard study claims that omega 3 fatty acid derived from sources such as flaxseed is largely inferior to getting it from fish, or grass-fed butter.

If you are vegan, flaxseed oil is the best you’ll do.

If you aren’t, you might consider fish, fish oil, or grass-fed butter.

Wait, Didn’t You Just Name Every Darn Fruit and Vegetable

I was waiting for this.

For starters, no, I did not just name every fruit and vegetable on earth.

But I did name a lot.

So what gives?

In some ways, the term “superfood” is a term interpreted in the eye of the beholder.

If you are diabetic, your version of a superfood might be somewhat different than someone who is just trying to burn body fat.

A superfood drink recipe can include more options than what a normal person can eat in a day.

Superfood Supplement List

Superfood supplements are big business.

Most people (myself included) don’t really want to carve up fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. We have jobs. Family. Responsibilities.

Hence why we enjoy just taking a supplement that has all our vital superfoods in them.

The problem, of course, are those evil superfood marketers (yep, we’ve circled back and now we are at the meat and potatoes).

Superfood Drink Reviews

Superfood drink reviews have been a highly difficult road for many people to journey down.

Why?

Marketers (yep, here we go again with greedy marketers!)

Marketers aren’t evil (at least not all of them), but many are swayed by affiliate payouts. This causes them to list some rather mediocre green drinks at. the top of their superfood drink review list.

There are some companies who have big budgets and offer superior superfood drinks. Its important to realize that multiple concepts can be true at the same time.

Below, I’m going to have a look at what I feel are the absolute top of the superfood drink review chain. To be honest, there could easily be 10 and maybe even 20 really good superfood drinks so it is important to realize that my list is super condensed.

Nevertheless, these are the ones I think are cream of the superfood crop.

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Kylea Total Living Drink Greens Review

If Total Living Drink Greens has any downside, it is that they are new. Being that the company, Kylea, is only a few years old, they haven’t had time to make too many mistakes.

So far, Kylea is a machine that produces incredibly potent superfood drinks.

Total Living Drink Greens is definitely one of those.

Basic Superfood Ingredient Breakdown

This is per serving.

• 11 grams of protein
• 15 grams of superfoods
• 3 grams of antioxidants
• 2 grams of amino acids
• 300 milligrams of probiotics
• 450 milligrams of enzymes

That’s a truly insane amount of nutritional density per serving size.

Taste

You can taste the greens, but there are enough natural fruits to conceal that aspect.

The texture is smooth.

Total Living Drink Greens is only available by web order. Read our Total Living Drink Greens Review.

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Athletic Greens Review

Athletic Greens is one of the best-known superfood drink producers in the game.

They are commonly listed amongst the absolute tops of the industry, and for good reason, Athletic Greens is loaded.

Basic Superfood Ingredient Breakdown

You get 12 grams per serving. At a cost of $77 (depending on deals), that’s really good.

• 8453 milligrams of superfoods
• 3569 milligrams of herbs and antioxidants
• 233 milligrams of enzymes and mushrooms
• probiotics

Taste

Decent to good, depending on who you ask over the matter.

You can buy them online. Read our Athletic Greens Review.

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Patriot Power Greens Review

Patriot Power is another big player in the superfood drink market.

The brand is big and the potency is even bigger.

Basic Superfood Ingredient Breakdown

Patriot Power has the following ingredients.

• Sea vegetables
• Land vegetables
• Superfoods

This is a good, good superfood drink. It’s extremely popular for a reason.

You will need to order it online. Read our Patriot Power Greens Review.

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Organifi Review

Organifi is the most heavily marketed superfood drink on earth. In fact, after reading this article, expect to be inundated with Organifi superfood drink ads on Facebook.

These guys spare no expense to market their product.

The good news is, the hype behind Organifi is mostly legit.

The downside to Organifi is that they run a bit thinner in terms of ingredients than all the ones I listed above.

Basic Superfood Ingredient Breakdown

5100 milligrams in greens

1450 milligrams in superfoods

You will notice no presence of probiotics or enzymes. This makes Organifi a bit overpriced. That said, I included them here because I feel everyone knows who they are.

Make no mistake about it, Organifi is good, but you can likely do better with any of the ones I listed above. Read our Organifi Review.

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Why Juicing Sucks

Yep, I said it. I didn’t just “say it,” I, in fact, screamed it.

Juicing absolutely sucks.

The juicing superfoods fad had many people buying expensive juicers such as the popular one made by Breville.

No doubt, the Breville is in a class of its own for juicing, but that doesn’t make juicing any better as an overall experience.

I added this section because I firmly believe people need to understand the reality of why juicing sucks. Juicing is commonly associated with superfood drink conversations.

I do not recommend juicing, here is why.

Juicing Is Bad For Blood Sugar

Many people don’t understand the technicalities of juicing. Juicing means extracting only the juice from the superfood.

During this process, essential fibers are culled out.

And that’s bad news.

Fiber is what helps to slow the release of sugar into our bloodstreams. There is a lot of science that condemns sodas and sports drinks for flooding our bodies with sugar. But the thing is, when you juice an orange and a pineapple, you’ve essentially reduced your drink to a load of sugar.

Yes, there are lots of nutrients in the juice, but at what cost are you getting those nutrients?

You can get the same nutrients plus the fiber by simply blending your superfoods.

Fiber contributes to weight loss, a reduction in colon cancer, and improved digestive health. Why cull fiber out when it is so darn healthy?

Juicing Is Incredibly Messy

If you’ve never ran a juicer, get ready for a mess of epic proportions.

Yes, I used to be a juicer fanatic. Yes, I was following the trend.

My kitchen was in constant shambles from the mess. Juicers like the Breville do the best they can to keep the mess quarantined, but it can only do so much. Additionally, YOU end up having to clean up the parts which is horribly annoying and time-consuming.

You’d be surprised at how long it takes to clean a juicer out.

And don’t pass on cleaning it, it will stink up your house and the old shredded fruit fibers sit and rot.

Juicers Are Annoying

These things are huge. They are heavy. They are hard to store.

You will juice for about a month at most until you just feel too worn out to get the juicer out from your cabinet. And if you choose to just leave it out, it will occupy most of your cabinet space.

Cleaning a juicer is a long, enduring process.

And for what? One glass of fiberless spinach/pineapple juice?

Not worth it.

Juice Fasts Are Terrible For People

A trend isn’t a trend until it has a fast associated with it.

Juice fasts are still as popular as ever, but it’s really not a good thing.

As mentioned earlier, juicing superfoods culls out essential and healthy fibers. So you end up with a big load of sugar.

This means you are essentially on a sugar fast. Imagine how that would make you feel?

Your blood sugar is literally in disarray for however many days you comply with the juice fast.

Conclusion

The term superfood is a confusing term.

Above, we learned what is a superfood, how marketers screwed up superfood lists, and how buying superfood drinks might be easier than doing the work ourselves.

We learned the term “superfood” can sometimes be an eye of the beholder type deal, depending on what ails us.

We learned that superfoods are darn healthy, but sometimes marketers exagerate claims and science as a way to entice us to buy prepackaged products.