The Superfood Alternatives

We've already told you about the many benefits to including superfoods (read more) in your diet. Foods like quinoa, blueberries and pomegranates are jam-packed with antioxidants and immunity boosters. But are there superfood alternatives for those picky eaters out there? Yes!In fact, many foods that we pass over are loaded with nutrition and health benefits--and also have the potential to be a superfood and fight against diseases. Change your food habits with a few of these options!

List of Recommended Superfood:

Oatmeal

Quinoa has been claimed as the best grain for weight loss, but there is an underdog that seems to have been forgotten about this superfood. Enter oatmeal. While quinoa does have the ability to leave you feeling fuller--8 grams of protein versus the 6 grams of protein that exist in oats per cooked cup--oats contain a unique nutrient called beta glucan: a type of fiber that increases levels of an appetite-controlling hormone."If you could call any grain a supergrain, it's oats," says Men's Health nutrition advisor Alan Aragon. Besides, looking to superfood from a weight-conscious perspective, oatmeal is the better option. A serving of cooked oats packs 166 calories. A serving of cooked quinoa? 220 calories.

Onions

Garlic has been pegged as the cancer-fighting superfood. But there's another stinky vegetable that has thesame fighting power.Just like garlic, onions provide organosulfur compounds, offering potential protection against certain cancers and help stall tumor growth.According to a 2007 study from Norwegian researchers, you should go for the purple onions. They get their violet hue from disease-fighting pigments called anthocyanins. Purple onion is a good superfood that contains more types and a higher amount of these pigments than yellow and white onions do.

Bananas

This filling superfood can act as a heart-protecting alternative to blueberries. "Bananas blow blueberries away in two essential minerals that the American public generally doesn't get enough of," explains Aragon.

Bananas contain more than three times the potassium--an anti-high blood pressure nutrient--as blueberries. But moreover, bananas pack in three times more magnesium--a mineral involved in hundreds of body functions, including blood pressure regulation. Two points for bananas, amazing superfood!

Peanuts

We've heard everyone talk our ears off about how almonds are the healthiest nut. Almonds are the it nut right not. But, according to Aragon, there's no reason to turn your back on peanuts. Peanuts is a perfect superfood that have a similar amount of calories, fiber, and slightly more protein than almonds do. When it comes to antioxidant content, peanuts are the winner-in fact, they've been found to have as many antioxidants as some berries. Take that almonds!

Peas

If you're a vegetarian and looking for a good vegetable superfood, you are encouraged to fill your diet with black beans since they are a good source of protein. But both black beans and split peas are nearly identically good sources of complex carbs, protein, and fiber. Furthermore, split peas are a great source of your daily iron supply--providing 32 percent of your daily value in just a cup.