12 Delicious Eats You Didn’t Know Were Superfoods

Do you feel like you can't get all of your vitamins and minerals into your diet without overeating? Here are a few super foods that will help.

Poppy Seeds

Cheese and milk aren’t the only calcium-rich foods. One tablespoon of poppy seeds contains 13 percent of your recommended daily calcium requirement. These delicious little seeds can perk up your yogurt, and are delicious with strawberries. But first, learn what you need to know about the health benefits, nutrition, and risks of eating poppy seeds.

Homemade mayonnaise in bowl with eggs and spice on wooden background
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Mayonnaise

Yes, you read that right. Mayonnaise is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The recipe below will give you two healthy doses with the addition of salmon.

Recipe to try: Sesame Salmon with Wasabi Mayo

Stacked fresh raw clams.
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Clams

Three ounces of clams provide 100 percent of your daily iron requirement and a whopping 1400 percent of your B12 needs. Both iron and B12 contribute to energy production and can help stave off anemia. B12 is great for your heart and has been shown to ease symptoms of depression. Check out this list of superfoods that could help you lose weight!

Recipe to try: Linguine with Herbed Clam Sauce

foods that protect arteries, canned salmon

Canned Salmon

A three-ounce serving of canned salmon will give you 133 percent of your daily allowance of Vitamin D. Use it as you would canned tuna.

Recipe to try: Salmon Patties with Lemon-Dill Sauce

foods help lose weight red peppers
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Red Pepper

One large red pepper provides more than 300 percent of your daily need for Vitamin C and 100 percent for Vitamin A. These are the 13 fall superfoods everyone should add to their daily diet.

Recipe to try: Vegetable & Beef Stuffed Red Peppers

Opened Oysters on stone slate plate with lemon
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Oysters

A half-dozen oysters contains 272 percent of your daily B12 needs, and 500 percent of your zinc requirements. Pop some oysters when you feel an illness coming on. Don’t fall for these 17 healthy foods that are not as good for you as you always thought.

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Black Rice

Black rice contains very high amounts of vitamin E. Vitamin E works to build up a strong immune system and protects cells from free radical damage. Black rice is also high in anthocyanin antioxidants. Here are the 8 best superfoods for a healthy gallbladder!

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Cheddar Cheese

Cheddar cheese contains a lot of calcium; it’s almost as good for your bones and teeth as a glass of milk.

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Blackberries

Blackberries are very fiber-rich. One cup contains 8 grams. The recommended amount of fiber you should get per day is 25 grams. This super berry also contains polyphenols, which help reduce cognitive decline by cleaning up cells that impair brain function in older people. Start throwing these 10 other extremely nutritious fruits onto your plate every day.

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Sauerkraut

Fermented cabbage is packed with nutrients. It contains probiotic organisms, which regulate bowel movements and work to maintain and improve your immune system.

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Black Lentils

These are packed with iron and soluble fiber. One cup contains about half of the daily-recommended intake of iron. Soluble fiber is packed with benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and improving immune function.

wasabi
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Wasabi

This Japanese root has a number of health benefits. It can prevent blood clots, clean out your sinuses, and help to stop a cough. Studies have also found that when you eat it alongside broccoli or cabbage it can improve liver health. Check out these 11 other superfoods that have stood the test of time as a healthy diet staple.

Sources: nutritiondata.com, hellmanns.us

Morgan Cutolo
Morgan is the Assistant Digital Managing Editor at Reader’s Digest. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2016 with a B.A. in Journalism. When she’s not writing for RD.com or keeping the 650+ pieces of content our team produces every month organized, she likes watching HGTV, going on Target runs, and searching through Instagram to find new corgi accounts to follow.