If you’re like me, you love all 10 Latin Super Foods? They’ve got to be good because when you look around there just aren’t that many overweight people in South America. Perhaps it’s their pedestrian lifestyle – but what if it’s their diet?
Here are the most powerful Latin Foods that are not only delicious, but extremely healthy. And if that’s not all, check out our list of super foods we eat here in North America.
1. Avocado Even though it gets a bad rap for the vegetable fat, it’s really a good source for good monounsaturated fats. These are the kind that lower cholesterol.
2. Chile Packed with Vitamin C chiles also contain the compound capsaicin. Capsaicin is what makes peppers hot – but is also a great compound that reduces inflammation.
3. Quinoa This is a grain you might not know about, but it’s delicious. Not only that is has all the essential amino acids and offers a complete protein. Quinoa is a great grain for vegetarians.
4. Papaya Other than acai, Papaya is the real Latin American superfood. It’s a melon-like fruit that contains potassium, folic acid and more Vitamin C antioxidants than an orange.
5. Beans Black beans and eggs are a wonderful South American breakfast. Beans contain three times the soluble fiber than oatmeal. Added to your diet, they can greatly reduce cholesterol.
6. Cilantro Most don’t realize that cilantro is the leafy part of the coriander plant. It’s packed with antioxidants and is often the tastiest part of salsa.
7. Pumpkin Seeds Served as Pepitas in Mexico, pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols and protein. They’re not high in calories or fat and make a wonderful snack.
8. Coconut Water Coconut water is seeing a surge in popularity as it is naturally fat-free, low in sodium and high in potassium. Perhaps this is not considered a food, but its healthy properties keep it on the list of Latin Super Foods.
9. Acai Acai berries are considered to be of the most potent antioxidants on earth. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get ahold of them before they’ve become oxidized. Prior to that the purple gems are packed with ten times the antioxidant content of red grapes.
10.Garlic According to Dr. Manny Alvarez (see video), Garlic is a great anti-inflammatory, boosts your immune system, fights bugs and viruses. I wouldn’t have typically considered it a Latin food, let alone one of the 10 Latin Super Foods.