Powerhouse foods are the new superfoods

1. Superfoods? They are so 2014. The latest trend is â € powerhouse foodsâ € ™. These powerhouses are bursting with healthy substances. And - unlike superfoods - powerhouse foods are scientifically substantiated.

1. Powerhouse foods are the exact opposite of 'empty' calories. They contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein and little energy. So super healthy. But when does a food belong to this elite? The American government agency 'Centers for Disease Control' recently published a definition in a scientific journal. A powerhouse food provides an average of 10 percent or more of the recommended daily allowance of 17 important nutrients per 100 kilocalories. These are calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, fiber, protein and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E, K and folic acid.

Superfoods are missing from the list

1. The American agency has not only drawn up a definition, but has also started calculating which types of fruit and vegetables meet the definition. They mainly looked at species for which scientific research indicates that they lower health risks. Think of green leafy vegetables, cabbage types, yellow and orange types of vegetables and fruits and citrus fruits. A few dozen species score at least 10 and are therefore powerhouse foods. At the top of the list are watercress, Chinese cabbage and Swiss chard. And surprisingly, superfoods such as goji berries and açai berries are missing. Powerhouse fruits and vegetables Score Watercress 100 Chinese cabbage 92 Swiss chard 89 Spinach 86 chicory 63 Lettuce 71 Parsley 66 Endive 60 Chives 55 Kale 49 Red pepper 41 Broccoli 35 Pumpkin 34 Brussels sprouts 32 Kohlrabi 26 Cauliflower 25 Carrot 23 Tomato 20 Lemon 19 Iceberg lettuce 18 Strawberry 17 Radish 17 Orange 13 Grapefruit 11 Turnip greens 11 Blackberries 11 Leeks 11 Sweet potato (sweet potato) 11

More vegetables than fruit

1. If you look closely at the list of powerhouse fruits and vegetables, a number of things stand out. The top half contains mainly green leafy vegetables and cabbage varieties. At the bottom are mainly yellow and orange types of fruit and vegetables. There are also many more vegetables on the list than fruits. So don't think that you can replace vegetables with fruit. Highest scoring fruits are lemon, strawberry and orange.

Chicory beats broccoli

1. Who would have thought that: chicory scores higher than broccoli, while the latter has such a healthy image. Some more striking results: regular butter lettuce (or lettuce) scores higher than iceberg lettuce and spinach is healthier than Brussels sprouts. Some notable varieties in the list are tomato, leek and pumpkin. Did you know they contain so much good?

Spicy power foods

1. Herbs like parsley and chives are also on the list, as is red pepper. In practice, this is of little use to you, because you eat very little of it. Have you ever eaten a standard vegetable portion of 250 grams of parsley? Not to mention red pepper…

Powerhouse recipes

1. What's the point of this list of powerhouses? Should you only eat these fruits and vegetables? No, even species that are not on the list are still healthy. And variation is important. Look at the list of which types of fruit and vegetables you almost never eat and buy them more often. And get inspired with these two delicious recipes. Watercress salad with strawberries, avocado and walnuts Swiss chard risotto with fried bacon A