Unsung Superfoods

Seaweed
Sea vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The kelp family (kombu, wakame and arame) is an excellent source of iodine and has about four times the iron of beef. Arame has more than 10 times the calcium as milk. Nori, the seaweed wrapped around sushi rolls, contains protein, calcium, iron, potassium and more vitamin A than carrots. If you're taking medications, check with your doctor.

Try it: Try sushi or maki rolls. Or cut nori strips into pieces and sprinkle on salads, Russell suggested. Put kelp in a shaker and use instead of salt. Add to soups. Or mix it with olive oil or tamari and use as a seasoning.

Avocados
Don't shun this creamy fruit because of the fat content. Avocados have good, unsaturated fats which help with growth and development of the central nervous system and the brain. They're packed with nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. And they play well with others; when you eat an avocado, it helps the body absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene, as well as lutein, from other foods.

Try them: Use avocado in place of mayonnaise. Add it to smoothies, salad, salsa, soups or sandwiches.

Dried plums (prunes)
These little gems are "a mouthful of rich sweetness," said dietitian and nutrition therapist Victoria Shanta Retelny of Chicago. High in antioxidants, they also have twice as much potassium as bananas; potassium can help keep blood pressure in check.

Try them: Retelny loves to dip them in dark chocolate or she purees them, then tops them with a dollop of plain yogurt and cinnamon.

Chia seeds
The little seeds that blossom into low maintenance pets -- or the bizarre new Chia Obama -- are actually nutrient-dense whole grains with omega-3 fatty acids. "They have among the highest antioxidant activity of any whole food, outdistancing even fresh blueberries," doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz wrote in "You: Staying Young." Studies also have shown they can level out blood sugar spikes. Roizen and Oz recommend two daily doses of about 20 grams of seeds each.

Try them: Use like flax seeds. "Sprinkle chia seeds in oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, or add them to salads, smoothies or baked goods such as muffins or brownies," said natural health expert Jordan Rubin.

Beets
The deep red color can be a little intimidating, but earthy beets give us fiber, iron and vitamin C. "Plus, they contain betacyanin, a powerful cancer-fighting agent that has been shown to help prevent colon cancer," said dietitian Gloria Tsang, founder of the online nutrition community Healthcastle.com. They also contain antioxidants that have been shown to lower total cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.

Try them: Try marinating steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. Grate raw beets onto salads, soups or any other dish. Or simply roast them with other veggies, Tsang suggested. But don't cook beets too long, because their anti-cancer activity is diminished by heat.

Pumpkin
Though fresh pumpkin is available only in the fall and winter, canned products are just as healthful, Tsang said. "A serving of pumpkin (1 cup) has nearly 3 grams of fiber, and is packed with beta carotene -- an antioxidant that can help improve immune function and reduce the risk for cancer and heart disease," she said.

Try it: Cut fresh peeled pumpkin into chunks and roast with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, Tsang suggests. Or drop a generous scoop of canned pumpkin into plain pancake batter, or make a soup from canned pumpkin, chicken broth and fat-free half-and-half.

Originally published by Julie Deardorff; Chicago Tribune.