The Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Foods and Recipes

You can’t shop the aisles of a supermarket, pick up a fast-casual restaurant menu, or scan a rack of food magazines without seeing it, the GF tag: gluten-free. No movement has consumed contemporary food like the gluten-free one, though keto may be coming close. Once a heavily restricted survival diet for those who suffered from celiac disease, gluten-free has become a mode of eating of choice for most of us, a way to battle mild to moderate wheat allergies we’ve only become aware of, cut down on carbs, or just to eat healthier, and with more intention.

Along with ubiquity comes easy adoption, or relatively so. Thanks to a host of food products, from raw ingredients like gluten-free flours to GF prepared foods, it’s possible to live a gluten-free lifestyle without major disruptions in your daily life. You can go out to eat (though if you do have severe gluten allergies, that can still be dicey), and cook pretty much the same types of foods you always did, without much in the way of major inconvenience.

Disclaimer: It was in 2016 that we wrote that, and in 2014 Sarah Henry covered the then-current state of the gluten-free movement for us; it’s safe to say, it’s even more mainstream these days (and GFF Magazine has outlasted Lucky Peach). So we’ll say it again: Gluten-free is still the new normal. Or maybe just normal.

Danielle Walker's Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes to Make Anytime), $18.99 on Amazon

This best-seller has been going strong since 2014, and includes recipes for tons of things, including homemade GF condiments.

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If you haven’t yet taken the plunge, going gluten-free does take some reflection, and vigilance. So here—for anyone thinking of taking up gluten-free eating for the first time, or being more conscious about gluten and its adjustments—we offer this guide.

Should You Go Gluten-Free?

Gluten-free foods were originally prescribed for people with celiac disease, a serious genetic autoimmune condition that occurs when gluten causes the body to destroy its own intestinal lining. Celiac sufferers have no choice but to avoid gluten, since failure to do so can lead to serious complications, including cancer of the small intestine. (Scroll down for more information on CD.)

Thanks to a slew of high-profile advocates for the gluten-free lifestyle—including Wheat Belly’s William Davis and David Perlmutter, author of “Grain Brain” (not to mention various celebrities)—a growing number of us believe we suffer from a less severe gluten intolerance, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), and that it’s the cause of maladies like joint pain, skin conditions, arthritis, and adrenal fatigue. Because NCGS doesn’t have a specific set of symptoms, doctors rarely diagnose it; some don’t believe it even exists. Still, researchers say that as many as 18 million Americans could have some adverse reaction to wheat products, a problem attributed to everything from wheat’s changing genetics to FODMAPs, a group of carbohydrates that often cause abdominal pain and bloating. If you have no adverse physical reactions to foods containing gluten, nutritionists advise against a restrictive diet, since it can do more harm than good. It makes you prone to having low levels of certain vitamins and minerals, and gluten-free versions of processed foods can be costly, and in some cases contain more fat, carbs, sugar, and sodium than their standard counterparts.

Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health, $10.59 on Amazon

Still a best-seller several years after its original publication.

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Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar—Your Brain's Silent Killers, $18.30 on Amazon

This one is also continually topping the charts on Amazon.

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What Is Gluten?

Gluten is kind of a catch-all name for particular types of proteins that are in many grains, including the most common types of cereal grains: wheat, rye, and barley, but also kamut, spelt, and other wheat relatives.

(Oats are technically gluten-free, but run into trouble from cross-contamination with wheat in milling facilities. What’s more, there’s a protein in oats that’s similar to the one in gluten and that can affect people with celiac disease. For non–celiac sufferers, it is now possible to buy oats that are certified gluten-free—scroll down for more on what you can buy, and what to avoid.)

The combination of proteins that makes up gluten coalesces into an elastic network that gives structure to pasta, breads, and other baked goods. So far, so good. The difficulty comes from all the sneaky gluten lurking in unexpected foods, like some vanilla extracts you might pick up, unsuspectingly, at the supermarket.

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What Is Celiac Disease (CD)?

Celiac disease, commonly referred to as CD, is a genetic disorder. When someone with CD eats food containing gluten (even small amounts), they experience an immune-mediated toxic reaction that afflicts the small intestine, preventing the food from being absorbed. Even if they don’t experience immediate symptoms, damage to the small bowel can result.

If you’re thinking of going gluten free because you suspect you have a sensitivity to wheat and other grains, you should probably begin by talking to a health care provider. He or she might refer you to a gastroenterologist and/or require tests, which you should do—it’s never a bad idea to check in with a doctor before changing your diet.

For more information on CD, check out the Center for Celiac Research, the Gluten Intolerance Group, and Beyond Celiac.

Can Going Gluten-Free Help You Lose Weight?

You may be wondering: If a gluten-free diet is only truly necessary for celiac or NCGS sufferers, then why are so many people insistent that going gluten-free has helped them lose weight? Some researchers are quick to point out that there are no published reports showing that a gluten-free diet produces weight loss in people without celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. But take away gluten from an unprocessed diet, and you’ll find yourself eliminating starchy, refined grains like bread, pasta, cake, and other sweets. What you’re left with are meats, seafood, beans, nuts, seeds, dairy, and fats, a preponderance of nutrient-dense foods that make you feel satiated more quickly, thanks to healthy fats and fibers.

So, What Can (and Can’t) You Eat on a Gluten-Free Diet?

According to Shauna James Ahern, creator of the popular blog Gluten-Free Girl, “wheat is where you’ll find gluten 90 percent of the time in the American diet.” Along with types of wheat (barley, rye, triticale, kamut, spelt), look for wheat products referred to a number of different ways, such as durum, farina, graham flour, and semolina. And while it may be obvious that gluten lurks in flour-based products like cake, cereal, breading, and pasta, you may not realize that it’s often present in chocolate, condiments, soft and hard candy, bouillon, soy sauce, and salad dressings, too. Even pills and vitamins sometimes use gluten as a binding agent. So always read labels, and when in doubt, ask (especially when dining out). When it comes to baking (and breading things), good replacements for wheat flour are no longer hard to come by. Companies like Glutino, Cup4Cup, and King Arthur Flour offer widely distributed flour substitutes. As an alternative, you can make your own gluten-free flour mix at home, and customize it however you want.

Beware that “wheat-free” doesn’t necessarily mean free of gluten, and some grains, like oats, are naturally gluten-free, but often contaminated with wheat during production, so look for a certified gluten-free label.

Beans, eggs, meats, seafood, and fruits and vegetables are all naturally gluten-free; make them at home, and you won’t have concerns about wheat contamination. For a quick starch fix, rice, potatoes, and corn-based products like polenta make nice stand-ins for breads, noodles, and pasta (though plenty of gluten-free pasta options do exist now too). With some exceptions, wines, spirits, and vinegars are gluten-free (but you should always double check, and beware of malt). And you’re in the clear eating any of the following, as long as they haven’t been processed with other gluten-containing grains: amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, cornmeal, flax, rice flour, soy, quinoa, millet, rice, sorghum, tapioca, teff, xanthan gum, potato flour, chickpea flour, and plantain flour.

Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet

The “Yes” List

Grain-like plants that contain no gluten:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat (kasha)
• Cassava
• Corn, including corn flour, corn meal, grits, and polenta
• Flax
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Rice (white, brown, and wild)
• Soy
• Tapioca
• Teff

• Gluten-free flours made from the above list, as well as those made from nuts, potatoes, plantains, beans, and coconut. Make sure they’re labeled gluten-free, to avoid cross-contamination.

• Dairy products, including milk, butter, margarine, real cheese, plain yogurt, and ice creams (as long as they’re free of gluten-containing add-ins like cookie dough!)

• Vegetable oils (including canola oil)

• Plain fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, potatoes, eggs, nuts, nut butters, beans, and legumes (many of which are nutritionally dense superfoods)

• Distilled vinegar

• Mono and diglycerides

• Spices (beware of blends and always read the ingredients list for hidden gluten—but if there are no ingredients listed, that means the jar contains only the spice or spices on the label)

• Hard liquor and wine (almost always)

The “No” List

• Wheat in all forms (spelt, kamut, triticale, durum, einkorn, farro, farina, semolina, cake flour, matzo, and couscous)

• Barley and malt, which is usually made from barley, including malt syrup, malt extract, malt flavoring and malt vinegar

• Rye

• Breaded or floured meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables, when the breading is made with wheat

• Soy and teriyaki sauces (and any meat, poultry, or vegetables with a sauce or marinade that contains these); coconut aminos can be a good substitute

• Foods fried in the same oil as breaded products

• Licorice, which is made with wheat flour, and other candies containing wheat or barley (again…get used to reading labels)

The “Maybe” List

• Beer is gluten-free when made from gluten-free grains. Beer made from barley processed to remove the gluten is not considered to be gluten-free.

• Flavorings are usually gluten free, but in rare instances can contain wheat or barley.

• Wheat starch is allowed in gluten-free foods if the wheat starch has been processed to remove the gluten protein.

• Oats are considered safe on the gluten-free diet if they have been specially processed to prevent cross-contamination by gluten-containing grains. They should be specifically labeled gluten-free.

• Processed cheese (spray cheese, for example) may contain gluten; real cheese is gluten-free.

Wheat-Free Is Not the Same as Gluten-Free

Products labeled as wheat-free are not necessarily gluten-free. They could still contain spelt, rye, or barley-based ingredients. Another reason to always, always read the label, especially if gluten truly makes you ill.

Gluten-Free Recipes

You can find gluten-free recipes in tons of places these days, from cookbooks to blogs (and of course, on Chowhound), but you don’t necessarily have to search for “gluten-free” in particular—if you get familiar with which ingredients are safe and which ones aren’t, you’ll recognize that plenty of standard recipes are naturally gluten-free, or are easily made that way with minor substitutions. Because the paleo and Whole30 diets exclude gluten, any recipes with those labels should also be safe. Here are some basic gluten-free recipes to get you started and keep you satisfied, morning, noon, and night.

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits

Slather these flaky biscuits with butter and jam, smother them in gravy, or serve them on the side of nearly any dinner (or breakfast) you like. Get our Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits recipe.

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

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A light brush of olive oil helps this homemade GF pizza crust crisp up in the oven—but for an easier option, our cauliflower pizza crust is also gluten-free. Get our Gluten-Free Pizza Crust recipe.

Gluten-Free Pancakes

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A mix of four different flours gives these GF pancakes a similar flavor and texture to traditional ones. (Luckily, maple syrup is GF, but some pancake syrup can contain gluten in the form of malt.) Get our Gluten-Free Pancakes recipe.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

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America’s best-loved cookies go gluten-free. This recipe uses a mix of milk and semisweet chocolate chips, but if you love dark chocolate feel free to use bittersweet. Get our Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

Gluten-Free Brownies

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No flavor sacrificed in these GF chocolate treats. Get our Gluten-Free Brownies recipe.

Note: This article was originally published on March 4, 2016, and was updated with new images, links, and text on January 8, 2019.

Related Video: How to Avoid Dense Gluten-Free Batter

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Chef Eric Ripert Talks Caribbean Cooking, Adventurous Eating, and His Prediction for 2019’s Biggest Food Trend

It is all too common for us to welcome a new year by restricting food intake, adopting fad diets, and ultimately failing at both of these endeavors. At Chowhound, our alternative mission is to take readers out of their food ruts so they’re forced to try *new* cuisine that may inspire, enhance, or even challenge their typical meal routines. No Keto, no kale salads, no constantly counting calories…or at least none of these things permanently. Life is all about balance and no hardcore diet (as we’re told time and time again) is sustainable in the long run, unless you’re Arnold Schwarzenegger or training for the 2020 Olympics.

One chef who champions such a mission is Eric Ripert, famed chef/owner of N.Y.C.’s Le Bernardin and Blue at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. I had the luxury of traveling to the latter (courtesy of Net Jets) to experience the legend’s impact and Michelin-starred cooking firsthand.

Courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman

Upon arrival, I was quick to learn that the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman is so much more than a fancy beach resort with a beautiful pool and plush gardens. It is a mecca of amazing culture (employees from all around the globe) and food (six unique restaurants), all with an unparalleled attention to detail (even the smell of their carpet shampoo became iconic). As a result, the 144-acre oasis is a befitting host for the island’s highly anticipated Cayman Cookout, now in its eleventh year and headlined by Ripert himself. The event welcomes dozens of the world’s top chefs for creative sips and eats, local tours, and exclusive tastings, allowing guests to also partake in cooking classes and demos that both expand their palates and advance their kitchen techniques. (This year’s dates are Jan. 17-20. For more information, click here.)

Courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman

I previewed the cuisine with a seven-course meal at Blue (featuring the most delicious butter-poached scallop I’ve ever eaten in my life), followed by the opportunity to chat with the world-famous chef about Grand Cayman’s overall food scene, adventurous and underrepresented eating, as well as his early prediction for 2019’s biggest food trend. And no, it’s not served on toast. Read on for the full interview.

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Recipes from one of the world's best restaurants.

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Chowhound: We’re obviously somewhere extremely special at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. What about Caribbean cooking inspires you? Is it the ingredients used, the freshness, the flavors, the people?

Eric Ripert: The ingredients are amazing almost everywhere in the Caribbean. If you get out of your hotel—and I’m not talking about the Ritz because the Ritz is a special hotel—and take the time to eat local food, you’ll find some very, very delicious food. But it’s very different between the islands. Jamaica is very different from Cayman and Cayman is very different from Cuba. Cuba is very different from Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo. There’s a similarity, but there’s a huge difference because some islands have black people, some islands [have] local native Indians, some islands [were] invaded by the Spaniards, or by the British, or by the Dutch. All of the influences are pretty much amazing to me. I think on a tiny island like Cayman, full of the locals, you can find some really delicious food that is very familiar, like a goat stew, but what they make here is very good.

Chowhound: It’s the new year and we think a great resolution is trying new cuisine or ingredients. If somebody is a self-described picky eater, do you have any tips to have them to branch out of their comfort zone?

ER: A picky eater usually, from what I have observed, does not like many green vegetables. They’re not very adventurous in general, but seafood is something they don’t enjoy as well. They are more into white meat and starch like potatoes, rice, and things like that. This is my understanding of picky eaters. I think eating more vegetables [not starches], trying to do things like grains and cooking lentils— it takes 20 minutes. You put the lentils in cold water, a piece of onion, a bit of carrot, and 20 minutes later you have something that is very good and very different.

With fish, I think they should try to get out of meat like chicken and pork. Salmon is always tricky because some people love it and some people think it’s a bit strong in flavor. I recommend white fish…something like halibut, for instance. It has a beautiful texture and delicious flavor. When it’s fresh, it’s not fishy at all. That would be something that would be a good try. It’s easy to find all over the U.S., as well. Any white fish that is not fatty, in general, is pretty easy [to introduce].

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.

Chowhound: Is there a food that, no matter how many times you’ve tried to prepare it, you just don’t like it?

ER: No. Whatever I don’t like, I don’t cook. It’s very simple: I don’t like fast food or processed food. It’s something that I do not bring home. Now if I have no choice and it’s a can of Campbell’s soup or something like that and I have to eat it, I’m going to try my best to fix it.

Chowhound: You’ve obviously been all around the world trying different foods. Is there a specific type of cuisine that you feel is really underrepresented in media from one area of the globe?

ER: Interesting. I don’t think the British and the Germans have enough recognition. You eat extremely well in Germany. And the British have some very good food. I’m not necessarily talking about London because London has a lot of good restaurants which are not necessarily inspired by their own culture. There’s a restaurant called the St. John in London that serves typical British food that is actually on the 50 Best list. It’s very good. Those two countries don’t get much recognition. Scandinavia, for some reason, gets total recognition. Those countries are left out.

Chowhound: Americans are obsessed with coming up with the next food trend, whether it’s avocado toast or the Unicorn Frappuccino. Do you have any predictions on ingredients or dishes that are really going to make a mark in 2019?

ER: Every time I try to make a prediction, I’m wrong. I think a trend that’s growing and is not going to fail is to eat more vegetables. And I see that more and and more. In aisles of supermarkets, I see more vegetables, chefs are writing cookbooks about vegetables, and I think that organic is really something that people are really starting to want. You pay the price because organic vegetables are more expensive, but when you have the choice between pesticides, GMO, or growing something with hormones or antibiotics, what do you choose? It’s really difficult to pinpoint what’s going to be the next kale. We had the cauliflower, which is fading as well, like the kale. Usually it’s something that is not expected, but everyone’s been eating it for a long time. It could be grains. Lentils could be the ones. They’re very good for your health. I’d say lentils.

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Uncommon Vegetables For Healthy Eating

Right about now, post-holiday bloat, we’re all thinking about how to feel, well… better. So how do you get yourself out of a cooking rut AND start (or stay on) your paleo, Whole30, keto or all-around-healthy-eating plan? Look to unusual vegetables that you’ve never heard of (or maybe don’t even know how to pronounce) to add a punch to your weeknight dinner plans. Whether you’re on a low-carb diet or just want to eat cleaner-ish, trust us when we say by perusing unusual veggies and even exotic produce at the grocery store, you’ll be more creative in the kitchen and avoid that nagging feeling that you might be in the culinary version of “Groundhog Day.” (There are only so many nights we can eat grilled chicken and broccoli, after all). Below, the uncommon vegetables shopping list you should absolutely be pinning.  

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Jicama

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This unusual Mexican root vegetable, often cited as a superfood, is both sweet and starchy. With a consistency similar to a pear or a water chestnut, jicama can be eaten raw. That means this tuber makes a great addition to cold side dishes, like slaws or a fruit salad and is also Whole30 and paleo approved. And because it’s low in carbohydrates, jicama can be used for keto-friendly French fries too.

Romanesco

Pixabay

This flower-like member of the broccoli family is so visually stunning it should be the vegetable poster child for all farmer’s market content. It’s almost too beautiful to eat, but because it’s so similar to cauliflower and broccoli in texture, it can be used as a replacement for those two in most recipes. Roasted, pureed, or raw, this veg is a go-to for those sticking to paleo, keto, or Whole30. Heighten your everyday broccoli soup by upgrading to a creamy keto and paleo-friendly Romanesco version instead.

Kohlrabi

Dishing Up the Dirt

Another substitute for the potato, kohlrabi belongs to the same family as cauliflower and kale. You can roast it and serve it alongside salmon or puree it into soups. It’s also on keto, Whole30 and paleo shopping lists. But if you’re feeling like downing a few carbs, try switching up that dated shepherd’s pie by topping it with mashed kohlrabi.

Fennel

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Fair warning: the taste of fennel is a bit shocking, due to its licorice-like flavor. But if you’re into using anise in your dishes, this veggie is for you. Pair fennel with our other uncommon vegetable pal, the jicama, for a flavorful side salad, or make it your main meal by braising it with a fatty pork chop to create an almost candy-like sweet and savory sauce. Despite having a sweet flavor, this polarizing vegetable is compliant with both keto and paleo guidelines.

Parsnips

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Parsnips are almost like a larger, white carrot with a sweeter taste. Unlike the carrot however, you must remove the parsnips skin before eating it. Because the parsnip is so sweet, it’s sometimes used in desserts, but it also makes the perfect replacement for carrots in a paleo or Whole30 side dish if you want to switch things up a bit.  

Celeriac

My Fussy Eater

We get it: celeriac (or celery root) isn’t winning any beauty pageants, but trust us when we say this is a root vegetable you’ll want to get to know if you’re following a paleo diet. We like to dress it up as a fake baked potato, but if you have any aversion to a more bitter veggie, this might not be for you.

Related Video: How to Prepare Fennel

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What Are Superfoods?

If you want to eat healthy, you have options: paleo, keto, Whole30, vegetarian or vegan. However you go, you might as well do it all the way by loading up on superfoods—never sacrificing taste, of course. But wait, what are superfoods, exactly?

Try these nutritious, spotlight-loving ingredients, just for instance: matcha, kava, kudzu, seaweed, quinoa, kombucha, chia seeds, goji berries, cacao, kimchi, açaí, miso, and turmeric. They’ve all had their moment, but just because they may no longer be the “It” ingredient, that doesn’t mean they’re not still, well, super.

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From the nutritionist behind the popular blog Cotter Crunch, this superfood cookbook is full of healthy and delicious recipes featuring these powerhouse ingredients.

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In addition to being packed with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, many of these ingredients are said (some even proven) to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, improve brain function and help fight memory loss, help you lose weight, and provide tons of other health benefits.

So while food trends come and go even in the health-food world, unless you have an allergy or overdo it (everything in moderation, even kale), you can never go wrong with whole fruits and vegetables, and their friends nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

What Defines a Superfood?

Here’s how to tell if you’ve got a true superfood on your hands:

A superfood is a whole (read: real, unprocessed, in its original form) food with high nutrient density—providing more bang for your buck. Usually plant-based, superfoods are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

There are no standard criteria or approved list of superfoods, according to the American Heart Association. For that reason, among others, many nutritionists avoid using the term to prevent unrealistic expectations of protection from chronic diseases. Bottom line: These are not magic substances, but foods that are especially healthy for you, and there are dozens of them.

The best health foods possess three of these four components, according to the Mayo Clinic:

1. Good or excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
2. High in phytonutrients and antioxidant compounds, such as vitamins A and E and beta carotene.
3. May help reduce risk of heart disease and other health conditions.
4. Readily available.

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Superfoods List

The best superfoods are packed with the aforementioned benefits, although some are easier to find than others. While this is by no means a complete list, some of our favorite superfoods are as follows.

• Açaí: These dark purple berries (nicknamed “purple gold”) are harvested from South American palm trees and often end up in smoothie bowls, in the form of açaí powder or puree; they’re full of fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and even calcium.

• Almonds: You know ’em, you love ’em, but in addition to tasting great, they’re packed with protein, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E.

• Apples (with skin): Apples of all varieties contain antioxidants quercetin and catechin, polyphenols, and fiber—no wonder they’re supposed to keep the doctor away.

• Avocado: The alligator pear is full of healthy fats and fiber, and famously contain more potassium than bananas.

Haas Avocado Board

• Blueberries (and other berries): Brightly colored berries are rich in antioxidant anthocyanins and phytochemicals called flavonoids.

• Broccoli: This cruciferous classic is high in vitamins A, C, and K, and folic acid. (Its cousin, cabbage, is another nutritional powerhouse.)

• Beans (especially black beans): These legumes provide fiber, protein, antioxidants, and iron.

• Coconut Oil: While some sources have turned on coconut oil, it remains a popular vegan option for cooking and baking, and is high in healthy saturated fats (or at least considered better for you than butter).

• Collard Greens: Dark, leafy greens like collards not only offer lots of fiber, but calcium, folate, and vitamins as well.

• Dark Chocolate: Thanks to its high amount of antioxidants, dark chocolate can even be considered a superfood, but be sure to choose a high cacao content (at least 70 percent) to get the health benefits.

• Eggs: While the majority of superfoods are plant-based, some animal products qualify—take eggs, which are full of proteins, iron, vitamins, and contain all nine essential amino acids you need. (That said, it’s important to choose eggs that are sustainably produced.

• Flaxseed: Small but mighty, flaxseeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants, and they’re easy to incorporate into your diet; try sprinkling a couple teaspoons into your oatmeal or smoothies, onto salads, or mixing them into homemade bread and other baked goods.

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• Garlic: The smell isn’t the only powerful thing about garlic—it’s also packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and manganese, and studies have shown it can help lower cholesterol and even help fight colds.

• Green Tea: Matcha and other green teas are loaded with polyphenols, a potent antioxidant, as well as alkaloids and L-theanine.

• Hemp Hearts: Also known as hemp seeds, these won’t make you high, but they will contribute to your health, since they’re full of protein, healthy fats, amino acids, vitamin E, and minerals. You can use them in the same manner as flaxseeds to boost the nutrition of all sorts of dishes.

• Kale: Love it or hate it, kale is definitely good for you, with lots of potassium, vitamins A and C, and antioxidant phytochemicals.

• Kefir: This tangy fermented dairy drink is packed with gut-friendly probiotics, as well as protein and vitamin K2. If you don’t want to down a glass on its own, try it as the base of a salad dressing or soup (scroll down for that recipe).

• Kiwifruit: The fuzzy fruit with a seedy heart of green is good for getting fiber into your diet, as well as folate, tons of vitamin C, and other vitamins and minerals.

• Mushrooms: A newer addition to the superfood group, mushrooms have always been super-healthy, if unassuming. They’re not plants, so they don’t have the phytonutrients of many other superfoods, but they are loaded with fiber, potassium, iron, and B vitamins, and virtually free of fat and cholesterol. They’re a great all-natural meat alternative, or added to all sorts of other dishes, both raw and cooked.

• Oats: Whether eaten as oatmeal, baked into bread, or made into oat milk, these whole grains are full of fiber, magnesium, potassium, and phytonutrients.

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• Pomegranate: These leathery red fruits with their ruby-jewel seeds (or arils) make the list thanks to their sky-high amouns of antioxidants, which support heart health. The juice—as long as it’s free of added sugar—is good for you, but the seeds are even better, since they’re also high in fiber.

• Pumpkin: Along with other types of squash and gourds, pumpkin is packed with fiber and vitamins A and C, while being low in fat.

• Quinoa: This protein-packed grain is also high in potassium, iron, and fiber—plus antioxidants and all nine essential amino acids.

• Red Wine: Okay, this isn’t a food, and in immoderate amounts, it’s not considered healthy, but red wine does contains potent antioxidants, so go ahead and have a glass or two to wash down your other superfoods!

• Salmon: Another non-veggie member of the superfood group, salmon is rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and several B vitamins.

• Seaweed: While raw kelp is the most nutritious, if you’re not into seaweed salad, you can use it in dried form to reap its benefits: fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids (another antioxidant), B vitamins, and iodine, which the body can’t produce on its own.

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• Spinach: Star of countless salads (and botanically related to fellow superfoods beets and quinoa), spinach is not only rich in iron, but in folate and vitamins A and K as well.

• Sweet Potatoes: These super spuds boast significant amounts of potassium, fiber, vitamin C and B6, manganese, and copper.

• Tomatoes: The jewel of summer, tomatoes are bursting with the antioxidant lycopene, plus fiber, vitamin C, and potassium too.

• Walnuts: Walnuts may help curb cravings, and they’re delicious in their own right, but also high in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that lowers the risk of heart disease.

• Watercress: While it may a bit under the radar compared to other greens, spicy watercress tastes great and is high in vitamin K and A, as well as antioxidants.

• Wheat Germ: This staple of health food stores (and, nutritionally speaking, the best part of wheat, although it’s removed during processing) is full of fiber, folate and other B vitamins, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Use it as you would flaxseed and hemp hearts.

• Yogurt: Yogurt is a great snack and an integral part of many healthy breakfasts, but we’re not talking about heavily sweetened, fruit-on-the-bottom versions or the kind that comes with a little pod of mix-ins. Whole, unsweetened yogurt is a great source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein, and many also contain probiotics that promote gut health.

What Are Green Superfoods?

Nested Naturals/Amazon

“Green Superfood” is both a brand name and an umbrella term to describe a couple different things. Actual green superfoods include your standard leafy green vegetables, plus other veggies like avocados, brussels sprouts, and broccoli, as well as things like spirulina, wheatgrass, and algae. However, “Green Superfood” powders are also popular additions to smoothies, juice, and the like. These supplements are comprised of various greens, plus other fruits and vegetables, and are an easy way to work more of those ingredients into your diet (although consuming them in their whole form, or as minimally altered as possible, is always preferable).

Amazing Grass Green Superfood Powder, $18.78 on Amazon

The popular Green Superfood brand offers several different blends (like a protein-rich vegan chocolate option, and an antioxidant-rich berry-flavored blend), but this one goes heavy on greens and wheatgrass.

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Nested Naturals Super Greens Superfood Powder, $26.55 on Amazon

This is intended to be a totally comprehensive blend of greens that's organic, non-GMO, and vegan, with enzymes and dairy-free probiotics to maximize absorption of all its benefits.

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Superfood Recipes

Eating a diet comprised largely of superfoods can help you lose weight if that’s what you’re after, but they’re also just great for your overall health—and taste fantastic. If you need a little assistance, you can jump on the healthy meal kit delivery train and try Sakara and Daily Harvest, which both name-check superfoods in their descriptions and focus on clean eating.

Or, you can hit up your grocery store, sticking to the produce, meat, and seafood departments (and avoiding the packaged foods, although if you can’t resist temptation, try picking plant-based snacks!), and make these superfood recipes for yourself:

Açaí Bowl

Chowhound

Start your day off right with a superfood smoothie bowl based on açaí berry purée and fresh fruits, and go as wild as you want with the toppings; it’s a great chance to pack in even more superfoods like flax and pomegranate seeds. Get our Açaí Bowl recipe.

Superfood Salad with Salmon

Dishing Out Health

There are countless versions of superfood salads out there (this Twelve Superfoods Salad packs a dozen superfoods into a single bowl), and you could build infinite varations of your own, but this one is especially striking, and the addition of salmon makes it perfect for dinner too. Get the Superfood Salad with Salmon recipe.

Chilled Avocado, Cucumber, and Kefir Soup

Lauren Volo

Creamy, crunchy, light, refreshing, satisfying, and super healthy—oh, and you can make it in less than 10 minutes. Yep, this might be the perfect summer lunch (but it’s refreshing in winter too when you need a break from heavy meals). Get the Chilled Avocado, Cucumber, and Kefir Soup recipe.

Oster Pro 1200 Blender with Glass Jar, Smoothie Cup, and Food Processor Attachment, $78.99 on Amazon

Blends soups, smoothies, and sauces—and comes with some bonus attachments to sweeten the deal.

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Seeded Apple Bread with Honey and Thyme

Yuki Sugiura

Oats, Greek yogurt, eggs, apples, and flaxseeds all figure into this recipe—and honey is also considered a superfood by many (at least when you use a raw honey). While you might not be able to say the same for the butter, it’s not so bad in concert with all these other healthy ingredients. Get the Seeded Apple Bread with Honey and Thyme recipe.

Easy Salmon with Lemon and Capers

Chowhound

Marinate the skin-on salmon fillets for about 15 minutes while you chop the shallot, garlic, and capers for this easy treatment that yields a tangy, salty, savory main meal that will fill you up with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Get our Easy Salmon with Lemon and Capers recipe.

Almond-Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Chowhound

Antioxidant rich blueberries get more punch with the fiber and protein of almonds in this healthier version of the classic blueberry muffin. Leave off the streusel if you’re cutting down on sugar, and toss in a spoonful of wheat germ if you have it. Get our Almond-Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins recipe.

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

Chowhound

Three superfoods—kale, beans, and garlic—packed into one brothy bowl provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein to make you, as well as your tastebuds, feel good. Get our Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup recipe.

Spiced Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies

Chowhound

You could do a lot worse when making cookies. Rolled oats, pumpkin, ginger, and cinnamon not only taste good and are full of filling fiber, they’re nutrient-rich. Leave off the powdered-sugar glaze if you’re cutting down on sugar. Get our Spiced Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies recipe.

Broccoli Slaw

Chowhound

This slaw not only has the superfood broccoli, it has purple and green cabbage, Greek yogurt, cranberries, and walnuts. The result is creamy, crunchy, tangy, and nutty. Get our Broccoli Slaw recipe.

Dark Chocolate Superfood Bark

Domestic Gothess

Antioxidant-rich dark chocolate is even better made into a bark with other tasty—and beautiful—superfoods like almonds, goji berries, matcha, and bee pollen. Get the Dark Chocolate Superfood Bark recipe.

Note: This post was originally published on January 28, 2017 and was updated on January 7, 2019 with new text, links, and images.

Related Video: Moringa Is a Trendy Superfood—Here’s How to Actually Cook with It

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How to Organize Your Kitchen for Healthy Eating

Who hasn’t planned to eat healthy only to have your lettuce go bad in the back of your fridge as it fills up with takeout boxes? And pretty much everyone has been bummed to see that something you intended to use when whipping up a recipe was long forgotten behind brown bag lunches. The good news? Decluttering your fridge, panty, and kitchen better can make it easier to eat healthy and ensure that you’re wasting less food and slashing your grocery bill. Read ahead for tried and true tips from experts on how to get organized.

Toss what you don’t need

If a diet regimen or healthy eating plan is your aim, then the first thing you should do is get rid of foods that don’t fit into your overarching strategy. “The biggest mistake people make is putting unhealthy foods anywhere at all in their fridge,” says Pat Salber, M.D., founder of “The Doctor Weighs In.” “So as painful as it is, I suggest doing a thorough fridge-cleaning and throwing away (not giving away) [sugary] sodas, foods loaded with artificial ingredients (all that stuff with unpronounceable names), sugary yogurts, and super-caloric foods, including those sitting on your condiment shelves. If it is not there, you can’t eat it.”

Other foods you might want to consider tossing include juice (which is loaded with sugar and lacks fiber) and commercially prepared salad dressings (which are packed with chemicals and preservatives), says Kimberly Snyder, nutritionist and New York Times best-selling author of the “Beauty Detox” book series and “Radical Beauty.” “Everything you see in your space should be supportive of your goals and reflective of how you want to live,” she says. “If it [is] not…just throw it away.”

DecoBros Expandable Stackable Kitchen Cabinet and Counter Shelf Organizer, $16.97 on Amazon

Get organized in 2019!

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Use the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ rule

Have a relative with a sweet tooth who refuses to live in a cookie-free home? A simple thing to do is keep unhealthy foods out of view, says registered dietitian Megan Denos, R.D.N. “One easy thing you can do now to make it easier to eat healthy is to remember ‘out of sight, out of mind.’” says Denos. “Keep the foods that you want ‘out of mind’ [like junk foods!] hidden away and in hard-to-access places.” If you have to whip out a step stool every time you want a handful of chips, you might be less likely to do it than if they hang out on your counter.

Make a plan

Having an organized kitchen starts with knowing what you’re going to get when you go food shopping, experts say. “The biggest mistake people make when organizing their fridge is buying food without having a plan, which usually leads to buying unnecessary items,” says Andres Ayesta, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., registered dietitian/nutritionist and owner of Vive Nutrition. “For example, buying five different types of vegetables without really having a plan on how you will cook them or eat them will likely cause them to stay there for a week before you toss them out.” Bottom line? Know before you go: Plot out what you’ll use each purchase for rather than throwing random things in your cart.

Snyder recommends stocking up your fridge with staples like leafy greens, healthy veggies, organic fruits, organic free-range local eggs, avocados, raw almonds, chia, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, and quinoa, to start.

Shutterstock

Don’t overfill it

The amount of food you buy will depend on your household and needs, but it’s important to avoid stuffing your pantry and fridge to the gills. “The biggest mistake people make when organizing their fridge or pantry is packing it so full that they don’t even know what’s in it,” says Denos. “ Let’s face it: you can’t eat food that you don’t know is there. In order to eat healthy foods, it’s important that you a) can easily see them and b) remember that they are there.”

Keep the healthiest stuff in your eyeline

Wondering where you should keep your veggies? Not hidden away in the back of your crisper drawer! “Don’t hide produce away in the bottom drawers,” says Denos. “It’s so easy to forget about all of your fresh fruits and vegetables when they are tucked away in the bottom drawers of your refrigerator. By keeping them out in the open (and at eye-level), you’ll remember that you have them and eat them before they go bad.” This also goes for your pantry: if it’s at eye level, it will be top of mind. “Keep healthy foods at eye-level (probably the middle shelf of your fridge or pantry),” she says. “Since this is where your eyes will go first, choosing the healthier options will be a no brainer.”

Fruit, meanwhile, “live happily in a basket in plain sight,” says Salber, perfect for making sure you actually see them when you’re hankering for something to eat.

Do prep work

Once you have your meal plan designed, and your food purchased, prep work is the next step to making your life easier. “Get the tedious work out of the way,” Ayesta says. “As soon as you do  your groceries, prep all your food to have it ready for cooking: pre cut your vegetables and store them in sealed containers like mason jars to preserve them longer, portion the meats you will be eating in the next 2-3 days in Ziploc bags. Leave foods that last longer in your drawers (usually dressings, and canned products).” By putting this leg work in early, you’ll fly through cooking the next few days. Bon appetit!

Related Video: How to Organize a Pantry in Three Simple Steps

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9 Healthy Lunch Recipes That Will Help You Skip the Drive-Thru

Oftentimes, the hardest part about eating a healthy lunch is finding the time to make it. Luckily for you, all of the recipes outlined below can be made in under 30 minutes or the night before. We’ve got nine recipes that will make skipping the drive-thru worth your while.

And to make things even easier for you, check out these healthy meal delivery kits that’ll help you keep your diet on track.

Header image and recipe for Basic Asian Broiled Tofu from Chowhound

1. Lemony Lentil & Chickpea Salad

These protein-packed lentils and chickpeas will keep you full all afternoon long. If you cook the lentils and chop your veggies the night before, you can whip up this nourishing salad in less than 10 minutes!
Photo and recipe from Cookie + Kate

2. Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo and recipe from Chowhound

The best part about soup is that it’s one of the few dishes that becomes more flavorful over time. Make this easy chicken noodle soup the night before and just reheat for lunch the next day for a comforting meal in the middle of your otherwise hectic afternoon. Get our Easy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.

3. Vegetarian Pho

This Vietnamese rice noodle dish is usually served with steak, but the substitution of mushrooms makes it not only meatless, but also quick and easy to whip up during your short lunch break.
Photo and recipe from Oh My Veggies

4. Brown Butter, Peas, Mint Omelette

This omelet can be cooked up in under 10 minutes, and the ingredients can be swapped out for any leftover herbs and vegetables you have in your fridge.
Photo and recipe from Saveur

5. Turkey Waldorf Salad

Photo and recipe from Chowhound

The sweet and salty combination in this salad is delightfully addictive. Serve over buttered toast for a simple and refreshing lunch. Get our Turkey Waldorf Salad recipe.

6. Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Pancakes

Pancakes get a savory makeover in this quick and simple lunch recipe.
Photo and recipe from Easy Food Smith

7. Homemade Instant Noodle Cup

These homemade noodle cups are just as flavorful and robust as the store-bought kind, but without any MSG or the ridiculous amounts of sodium.
Photo and recipe from Gluten Free on a Shoestring

8. Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls

Taking a few minutes to mix up a marinade for the chicken first thing in the morning (or the night before) allows you to enjoy a juicy, flavorful chicken bowl that can be served up in under 30 minutes.
Photo and recipe from How Sweet It Is

9. Spinach-Chickpea Sauté

If heavy lunches are causing you to crash by 3 p.m. then consider this light lunch recipe that’ll fill you up without making you need an afternoon nap.
Photo and recipe from Girl Versus Dough

Looking for more healthy lunch ideas? Check out our Healthy Make-Ahead Lunches and Healthy Recipes for Kids’ Lunch Boxes recipe galleries!

Shelly Westerhausen is the founder of Vegetarian ‘Ventures, a food blog that focuses on planet-based recipes and healthy eating habits. In her free time, you can find her rocking a wolf T-shirt, sipping on hibiscus tea, and working on her magazine, Driftless.

Related video: 87 Healthy Casseroles

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