People often have the misconception that eating a plant-based diet means you end up with boring, tasteless dishes and an incomplete nutritional balance. However, as our whole blog will prove, that idea is far from the truth. There are a thousand and one ways to make a plant-based diet fun and enjoyable. In fact, a quick look at a post like ‘Cook This Now: Spring 2020 Oil-Free, Plant-Based Vegan Recipes to Make‘ shows that vegan recipes are fun, creative, and undoubtedly nutritious.

If you’re looking for new ingredients to experiment with, there are a host of different ones that you can have fun with. Below are a few plant superfoods that are not only packed with essential nutrients, but are great additions to any recipes and dishes.

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Avocados

Avocados are a popular ingredient in many vegan recipes, and it’s not hard to see why. The fruit is absolutely bursting with nutrients and antioxidants. Plus, its buttery texture makes it a great addition to any recipe, whether blended smooth or eaten whole. Healthline lists out a few of avocado’s many benefits, including its high concentrations of folate, potassium, and vitamins K, C, B5, B6, and E. Not only that, avocado is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve your heart health. Plus, it can easily integrated into salads and much more.

Some of my favorite avocado recipes include: Easy Oil-Free Avocado Lime Dressing, Spicy Hijiki Seaweed Avocado Salad, and Unbelievably Delicious Vegan Chocolate Avocado Pudding. Or, check out more recipes: Tasty Avocado Recipes

Wheatgrass

A surprisingly healthy yet affordable superfood that many people may not be aware of is the young grass of the common wheat plant, also known as wheatgrass. Despite its unassuming form, it’s full of nutrients and has a ton of health benefits. Brightcore outlines that taking wheatgrass, whether fresh or in supplement form, can boost your energy levels, strengthen your immune system, and alleviate acidity issues. Wheatgrass is also rich in antioxidants that can keep you looking young and healthy for longer. Take it as a smoothie or a juice, or sprinkle on top of a salad or dish for that extra healthy punch.

Watch how to make a tasty Wheatgrass Drink, even without a juicer:

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are another fantastic superfood that can add so much to your daily diet. According to Medical News Today, hemp seeds are rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fatty acids like omega-3s and omega-6s. Adding hemp seeds to your food can help you balance out your ratio of omega-3s and omega-6s. In addition, hemp seeds can provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. Hemp seeds can protect your brain health, improve your skin, and even alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

The best part about hemp seeds? They’re incredible easy to incorporate in your plant-based diet. You can sprinkle them on Chocolate Pudding, add to Berry Good Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, or sprinkle into Collard Wraps.

Pistachio Nuts

Pistachio nuts are a fun and delicious plant-based snack. Plus, they’re high in fiber, protein, and potassium. In fact, Greatist reports that a mere one-ounce serving of pistachio nuts contains as much potassium as a small banana. Pistachio nuts can be added into Raw Trail Mix Energy Bars, sprinkled over Chia Pudding, used as a colorful garnish, or provide a crunchy crouton-replacement on salads.

Seaweed

Seaweed isn’t a food that we think of often, but there’s so much more to it than first meets the eye. Food Insight says that raw kelp can actually be a great source of calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Plus, it can help improve your eye health and even help manage diabetes. While seaweed is usually eaten dried, there are great ways to make use of it fresh as well. You can use kelp to make a dashi for Vegan Ramen. Wakame adds funky flavor and crunchy texture to Spicy Corn Seaweed Salad. Or, use nori sheets to make Easy Raw Veggie Rainbow Veggie Nori Rolls.

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Cook any of these? Please Share!

If you cook any of these vegan casseroles or use them for recipe inspirations, please share. Comment below or tag me on:

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