As Americans become more health conscious, restaurant owners will need to adjust their menus to include organic ingredients and superfoods. Even if your restaurant isn’t necessarily a healthy option, you can still include some of these items in your traditional dishes or even a separate health food menu. You may also consider adding a few of these items to your own daily diet. Here we take a look at 21 super foods to add to your 2021 restaurant menu.

Chia Seeds

“Despite their small size, chia seeds are full of important nutrients. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke.”

Quinoa

“Rich in fiber, minerals, antioxidants and all nine essential amino acids, quinoa is one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods on the planet. It may improve your blood sugar and cholesterol levels and even aid weight loss.”

Goji Berries

“Hailed as the newest superfood, goji, a Himalayan berry, has inspired a surge of interest for its use in treating diabetes, hypertension, malaria, fever, cancer and other ailments. Gram for gram, goji berries pack more vitamin C than some oranges and more beta-carotene than carrots.”

Ginger

“Ginger adds flavor to foods and can relieve nausea and gastrointestinal irritation and reduce exercise-induced muscle pain and inflammation.”

Avocado

“Avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals. This is coming with 160 calories, 2 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although it contains 9 grams of carbs, 7 of those are fiber, so there are only 2 net carbs, making this a low-carb friendly plant food.”

Cacao Nibs

“Cacao nibs are a highly nutritious chocolate product made from crushed cocoa beans. They're exceptionally rich in antioxidants that help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Cocoa products like cacao nibs have been linked to reduced heart disease and diabetes risk, as well as other health benefits.”

Wheatgrass

“Fresh wheatgrass juice is considered to be a living food. Health enthusiasts have long raved about the countless benefits of this plant, and for good reason. It can be used as an everyday health tonic and may even help treat specific diseases.”

Blueberries

“According to a few studies, a bowl of blueberries can help in boosting immunity and can reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity and heart diseases. Moreover, consuming a small portion of berries daily can help in strengthening the metabolism and prevent any kind of metabolic syndrome and deficiency.”

Broccoli

“Broccoli is a good carb and is high in fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating. Along with this, broccoli is also great for weight loss because it is rich in fiber.”

Eggs

“Eggs are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. Egg yolks contain more calories and fat than the whites. They are a source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and lecithin, the compound that enables emulsification in recipes such as hollandaise or mayonnaise.”

Greek Yogurt

“Two cups of Greek yogurt per day can provide protein, calcium, iodine, and potassium while helping you feel full for few calories. But maybe more importantly, yogurt provides healthy bacteria for the digestive tract which can affect the entire body.”

Beans

“Beans are a great source of fiber. That's important because most Americans don't get the recommended 25 to 38 grams each day. Fiber helps keep you regular and seems to protect against heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and digestive illness.”

Walnuts

“Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy fats and high in antioxidants. What's more, regularly eating walnuts may improve brain health and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.”

Oatmeal

“Oats are a natural superfood because they are 100% whole grain with minimal processing, and contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. Oats are unique in that they are one of the richest sources of beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that can help lower cholesterol reabsorption.”

Salmon

“Rich in heart-healthy omega-3s, salmon is a low-calorie protein source that's also low in saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fatty fish like salmon every week.”

Cabbage

“Cabbage has 1 gram of fiber for every 10 calories. That helps fill you up, so you eat less. It also keeps you regular, and it could help lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and control your blood sugar. Cabbage also has nutrients that keep the lining of your stomach and intestines strong.”

Fish Oil

“Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils may protect the heart during times of mental stress. Findings published in the American Journal of Physiology suggested that people who took fish oil supplements for longer than 1 month had better cardiovascular function during mentally stressful tests.”

Garlic

“It is usually consumed cooked but, to preserve all its beneficial properties, it would be better to eat it raw. Most of its beneficial effects come from allicin, an enzyme contained in large quantities in raw garlic that gives it its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-tumor properties.”

Mushrooms

“Mushrooms don't just taste nice. They also pack a nutritional punch as they are loaded with vitamins, promote a healthy immune system and boost your bone health. That's why they are considered as a superfood. And for those looking for weight loss benefits, mushrooms contain no cholesterol or gluten either.”

Almonds

“Every ounce eaten daily was associated with a 3.5 percent decreased risk of heart disease ten years later. Almonds are already known to help with weight loss and satiety, help prevent diabetes, and potentially ameliorate arthritis, inhibit cancer-cell growth, and decrease Alzheimer's risk.”

Flaxseeds

“Flaxseed may help lower total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.”

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