11 Vegan Superfoods that Aren’t Just a Trend

The term ‘superfood’ has been thrown around a lot lately. Social media platforms and multilevel marketing companies have a way of desensitizing us to crucial information like healthy eating habits. Just be sure to keep your eyes peeled for what’s truly a superfood and what’s just a sales scam.

Most of the time, they’re not wrong – but introducing these superfoods as a newly discovered fad, that’s what’s wrong.

The 11 items on our list today are a great addition to your palate – all thanks to naturally grown foods.

Mother nature has been dishing out vegan superfoods since the beginning of time. So, we’re about to drop some truth bombs on you – you may have seen these come up in your social feed in the past decade, but that certainly doesn’t take away from the nutritional value of our top 11 vegetarian superfoods.

Not Just Superfoods for Vegans, but What Makes Them So?

The superfoods we’ll mention in this post are not just for vegans and vegetarians – they never are. Even if you prefer a little meat on your plate, these nutritious additions will benefit your health. So don’t be afraid to pick out a nutritious vegan superfood to try from our list – or maybe even all of them!

Vegan Superfoods List

You’ll notice that we break down our list of plant based superfoods into the following categories:

Vegan Superfoods that Give you Energy
Vegan Superfoods for Weight Loss
Superfood for Brain Function

There are so many more categories we could cover but these plant based superfoods usually check off multiple boxes. They are called ‘super’, after all!

Vegan Foods That Give You Energy

Energy boosting foods are crucial for our day to day, especially if you suffer from diseases such as anemia. If you find your day lacking that drive, try any of the following superfoods.

1) Pistachio & Other Nuts

If you’re allergic to nuts, you’ll want to skip this suggestion, although there are nut free alternative spreads such as sunflower seed butter, coconut butter, among others. Pistachios are high in protein and release energy slowly – giving you consistent power throughout the day.

2) Maca

Often referred to as ‘the energy root’, Maca is also widely used to boost sexual wellness – although this lacks conclusive evidence. Maca is a great substitute for coffee and tea because it’ll boost your energy without the crash!

3) Spirulina

This superfood is super nutrient-dense! Spirulina is what’s called a complete protein – that means it contains all essential amino acids. Without proper amounts of amino acids, our body’s energy production won’t function properly.

Vegan Superfoods for Weight Loss

Delicious and effective, these plant superfood options are a variety of snacks, meals, and additives for a boost in your weight loss efforts. When looking to lose weight, doing so the healthiest way possible, along with exercise, is the best way and most long-lasting.

4) Matcha Green Tea

Oh, how matcha we love green tea – it’s smooth and full of goodness like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. A great way to detox and help with digestion. Keep in mind that detoxing doesn’t need to be a numbered day fad – taking chlorophyll daily can help keep out free-radicals in the long-term.

5) Berries

Enzymes that burn fat and antioxidants that boost metabolism – berries got it all. We’re talkin’ strawberries, blueberries, acai berries, goji berries, blackberries, and even raspberries – take your pick. They keep you hydrated, give you energy, and they’re delicious.

6) Oats

Full of soluble fiber, oats help keep you feeling full, and therefore, snacking less! To lose weight by eating oatmeal, there are a few tips you need to keep in mind. Firstly, stick to steel-cut and rolled oats – and stay away from flavored instant oatmeal packets as they are packed with sugar. Second, skip the added sprinkled sugar or syrup and opt for fruit toppings instead. That sugar content can add up quickly, especially when you consider how bland oats are to begin with.

7) Turmeric

Many would love to declare Turmeric as a ‘lose weight quick’ magic root, but the truth is, nothing is! However, it does work well when combined with a healthy diet and exercise.

Our bodies don’t absorb Curcumin very well – the main active ingredient in Turmeric. One way to increase absorption is to add a touch of black pepper which increases absorption by over 2000%. A compound in black pepper, called Piperine, is what makes this possible. Several animal and human studies that resulted in both weight loss and a reduction in fat tissue growth.

So, add a touch of turmeric to your meal or smoothie consistently and take notes of your weight loss journey.

Vegan Food for Brain Function

The following raw vegan superfoods are mostly wins for your taste buds. And hey, if you’re not a fan of green peppers, there are ways to add it into your diet with tasty recipes like classic stuffed peppers. Nevertheless, your health is always priority #1 and brain function is one aspect you’ll be happy you focused on early on in life with vegan superfood.

8) Sweet Green Pepper

Get ready for this one because it’s exciting – sweet green peppers contain a compound called luteolin. Luteolin, a flavonoid, fights aging. It protects our cells by keeping inflammation down. It improves brain function in the hippocampus, meaning it targets learning and memory.

Now, are green peppers the only way to get your hands on some luteolin? No. Is this post sponsored by green pepper lovers? Also no.

We chose green peppers because they’re the second highest in luteolin density – coming second only to Radicchio.

To be fair, radicchio(1.6mg/kcal) more than quadruples the luteolin density of green peppers(0.2mg/kcal). Green peppers are just more accessible to everyone and there are plenty more recipes that are taste friendly.

9) Avocado

This choice was a bitter-sweet addition for us. As much as we all love avocados, we can’t ignore the ethical problems that this food brings to the table. From deforestation, destroying ecosystems, and even contributing to climate change. So before we jump into why avocados are on our vegan superfoods list for brain function – we implore you to enjoy this fruit in moderation.

Having said that, avocados contain monounsaturated fatty acids which are known to protect the cells that support information carrying nerves. That’s why people with neurological disorders are typically provided with diets that contain avocados.

10) Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms contain an essential nutrient called choline. Our bodies use choline to make acetylcholine – a neurotransmitter for brain functions like mood, muscle control, and memory among others.

One cup of this vegan superfood contains 116 mg of choline – approximately 20% of our daily requirement.

11) Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are the perfect addition for a vegan superfood buddha bowl – let’s talk about why your brain will thank you for it. One teaspoon of these tasty seeds contain 1.32 grams of alpha lipoic acid – which covers the daily recommended intake for women and over a third of the recommendation for men.

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant that helps fight memory loss, promotes healthy nerve function, and more.

That’s a lot of power in just one teaspoon – don’t skip out on this vegan superfood.

4 Flavorful Ways to Add Vegan Superfoods to Your Diet

The misconception that vegans don’t enjoy great tastes is severely misguided and we’re going to share some vegan superfood recipes that are sure to change your mind. It’s actually the exact opposite – vegans enjoy all the different flavors and colors offered up by mother nature – and they do it well. Check it out:

1. Blend Them Together

Taking a look at our recommendations above, we can already pinpoint several delicious additions to vegan superfood smoothies. Pistachios, berries, avocados, and chia seeds are just jumping off the page at us.

Green Pistachio Smoothie: Yes, please! Kale, OJ, Banana, Pistachios, and avocado all come together to create this sweet and nutty drink. The recipe also states that you can skip the kale and add another leafy green, which is a plus if you’re not a fan of the slightly bitter taste of kale.

Turmeric Mango Carrot Smoothie: And you thought we couldn’t find a delicious recipe with ‘turmeric’ as the star! Well, you can almost add anything to mango and it will still be a door crasher.

Strawberry Banana Chia Seed Smoothie: This not only sounds delicious, but anything with chia seeds is a top contender in the search for the best vegan superfood smoothies!

2. Make A Buddha Bowl

Who doesn’t love a good vegan superfood buddha bowl? They taste good, they’re fast, and they look pretty! Plus, the combination of multiple flavors, when done right, is rich and aromatic – not to mention very good for your health. Here are just a few plant superfood buddha bowls you should try:

Blackberry Banana Smoothie Bowl with Maca and Almond Butter: Bursting with berry flavor – and color – almond butter, maca, and chia seeds. Then, topped off with bright green kiwi, bee pollen, and coconut flakes to name a few. As beautiful as it is tasty!

Spirulina and Edamame Green Bowl: A tad more complicated – but totally worth it – plant superfood buddha bowl! Spirulina noodles, button mushrooms (substitute for shiitake mushrooms, maybe?), edamame beans, and other goodies.

The Classic Buddha Bowl: Now, although technically, this buddha bowl doesn’t cover what we talked about in this post – unless you count the avocado garnish – we love it and you can always throw on a teaspoon of chia seeds for more power!

3. Add A Salad to Your Meal

The most beneficial side dish we can think of is a vegan superfood salad. It’s just a great way to get all your greens in and add a boost of nutrients and vitamins to yoru dish. If you could have your favorite salad with every meal, well wouldn’t you?

Although, we know how often many people are too busy to really sit down and enjoy their meal. That can really cut into our nutritional intake – which is where our Chlorophyll shots or Chlorophyll drops can truly come in handy.

They come with all the positives you would get from adding a salad to your everyday life – improving heart health, improving digestion, detoxing the body, restoring red blood cells, and they’re full of antioxidants.

4. Refreshing Desserts

If the deliciously colorful smoothies above aren’t sweet enough for your taste, let’s go over a few refreshing vegan superfood desserts.

Superfood Dessert Sushi: Mmm! With the use of almond flour, cashews, and date paste – you can make the yummiest sushi there is. The filling is made with date paste and mixed berries for extra sweetness.

Chocolate Bark: The thing about this chocolate bark is that it could become seriously unhealthy depending on the toppings you choose to top it with. Keep it simple and healthy – go with the pistachios, sesame seeds, and dried fruit.

Mango Chia Seed Pudding: You already know we love chia seeds, so this should come as no surprise. All you need is six ingredients – mango, cardamom powder, coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and of course – chia seeds. It’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and did we mention it has chia seeds? For us, this one tops the vegan superfood desserts list!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do Vegans Get Fat in Their Diet?

Being vegan doesn’t mean your diet is lower in saturated fat. Vegans have a lot of options to get fat in their diets. Nuts, seeds, avocado’s, and oils are all great sources of fat. Many vegan superfoods are enough to provide vegans with all the nutrition required for a healthy lifestyle.

How Long Does It Take To Lose Weight on A Vegan Diet?

It’s important to note that everyone will lose weight at their own pace. There’s no universal rule that guarantees weight loss when switching to vegan diets. Having said that, the average weight loss that’s been experienced is 2.5 lbs per week.

This also depends on whether or not you eliminate sugar and other fatty foods from your diet and if you exercise during this time as well.

Why Am I Not Losing Weight on A Vegan Diet?

If you’ve made a dramatic change in your diet and you’re still not seeing results, consider this:

Are your portions too big?

Are you eating plant based food that’s actually junk?

Do your drinks have too many calories?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, try making those changes and see if it makes a difference. If not, add exercise to your daily regimen if you haven’t already. And if that doesn’t work, talk to your doctor about testing to find out why you’re having trouble with weight loss.

How to Stay Full on A Vegan Diet?

This one’s easy – so many vegan superfoods are super filling like oats and nuts. Be sure to vary your intake and don’t focus solely on fruits and veggies.

If you’re having a tough time getting all your vitamins and minerals in, it might be time to check out the benefits of chlorophyll and how it can make mealtime easier for you.

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