This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Are Superfoods Really Worth The Price Tag?

Some are, while others offer the same nutrients as their more affordable friends.
Hey kale, you're not the only good green veggie.
Shutterstock.
Hey kale, you're not the only good green veggie.

Remember the good old days when veggies and fruit were all just called 'food'? Now there's a whole bunch of fancy 'superfood' sub categories.

A superfood is classified as a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being, though really, who decides which veggies fall into the hyped-up category and which ones miss out?

Sure, there's no denying they are good for you, but when you consider of the cost of some superfoods it's wise to weigh up the difference compared to a similar ingredient with a more affordable price tag.

Take quinoa for example. It cost roughly $1.70 per 100 grams, though on a nutrient level is almost on par with brown rice which costs 32 cents for the same amount. Sure, it has 7 percent more dietary fiber and 9 percent more iron, bit is that worth the extra cost?

Agave nectar has fast become the 'clean eating' go-to for sweetening recipes, but is it any better than good old honey? Turns out the composition of sugar and total carbohydrate is almost exactly the same.

Spirulina is another buzz ingredient, made from seaweed and said to be very high in protein and calcium. Though as it turns out, it's not that much better than regular spinach. In fact, spinach has high levels of vitamin A and C, while spirulina has none.

Take a look at the below infographic for more superfoods in comparison to their more traditional counterparts.

HuffPost Australia

Original Infographic here.

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