What Is a Super Fruit?

We're all trying to eat better these days, and for the most part it's not very hard to do. But what you'll find more often than not on food labels is the mention of something called a “super fruit.” Just what is a super fruit? Does it have some special benefits beyond other fruits? Has it been proven to hold the key to healthiness? Read on and I'll let you know the skinny on super fruits.

The term is as loose as they come, though that doesn't necessarily mean it get added to foods that don't warrant its use. Commonly, “superfruit” is a commercial marketing term created to entice customers and convince them that the various products containing the mythical fruits are somehow better than products that don't have the ingredient.

More simply, super fruits fall into a set of criteria that all seems rather arbitrary such as perceived customer novelty, the proposed health benefits the fruits provide, the ability of the fruits to mask the flavors of other foods, the rapidness with which farmers can grow them, and how many products they can be innovated into.

So it sounds like it's just a big marketing scheme, right? Well, not quite. Fruits like blueberries, cranberries, and pomegranates have been a part of this list for quite some time, and scientists have been able to show that those are some of the healthiest foods in the world. However, other worthy candidates such as apples, oranges, and strawberries seem to get looked over by the food industry for this special labeling, for seemingly no reason.

All that means is that it's good news for you. A super fruit is only what you make it out to be, so even if you can't afford a pomegranate, a cheaply-priced apple is just as good. It all depends on what you choose to make from the fruit as their biggest selling point is how much variety can be squeezed, sometimes quite literally, out of one small food item. Apples can be baked into pies. Grapes can be converted into juice. Blueberries go great in pancakes. Strawberries can be freeze-dried and put into a trail mix. The versatility of these fruits are amazing!

So whether you want to believe the marketing jargon or not, super fruits do exist, just perhaps not exactly by the standards that companies are trying to tell you. The bottom line is that fruits are a cheap source of vitamins and minerals and they go great with anything, especially if you're just planning a small snack. They provide natural energy and long-lasting benefits, so why not grab one today?

For more about finding a vegetarian diet or how to live a vegetarian lifestyle, check out VegOnline.org today!