The Best Antioxidant Foods

A lot of health and wellness experts like throw around words like antioxidant... but what does it mean and why do I need it? After experiencing several members in my family battle cancer more than once, I started researching antioxidant foods and how foods high in antioxidants can help not only keep me healthy, but fight for me too.

Best antioxidant rich foods

If you're looking to up your intake of antioxidant rich foods, then take this list to the grocery store:

ArtichokesDark chocolatePomegranateBeetsGoji berriesRaspberriesBlack berriesKaleRed cabbageBlueberriesOrange vegetablesRed grapesCherriesPecansRed kidney beansCranberriesPlumsStrawberries

A good rule of thumb when browsing the produce section: if you buy dark leafy greens, red fruits, or berries then you are getting a cart full of antioxidants. Not to say that the other fruits + veggies are out of the running, they just provide different nutrients for the body.

While the foods on the above list are quite delicious, they are also super helpful to our bodies.

Why we need antioxidants

Antioxidants are molecules that specifically fight free radicals in the body. Why is this important? Well, if free radical counts get too high, then they can become super harmful. I'm talking cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more.

While the body naturally has antioxidants, certain kinds of food also contain these special compounds, and eating these foods can give your defense system a big boost.

Free radicals also contribute to aging, so I'll eat all the antioxidant foods I can to age a bit more gracefully + naturally.

Vitamins C and E are common as well as necessary antioxidants, and all the foods on the above list are full of these 2 essential vitamins.

FAQs

Which foods have the most antioxidants?

Berries, fruit, nuts, beans, dark leafy greens... basically plant based whole foods are rich in antioxidants.

What drinks are high in antioxidants?

100% fruit juices, herbal teas, green tea and more plant based drinks are loaded. Green smoothies are full of foods high in antioxidants.

Are antioxidants bad for you?

You can have too much of a good thing, even antioxidants. Check with your doctor before changing your diet to ensure you are still getting the balance you need to thrive.

Antioxidant rich smoothies

Many people in the Simple Green Smoothies community come looking for how to easily incorporate foods high in antioxidants into their diets. So I've created several smoothies using these powerhouse ingredients:

While these are a great starting point to boosting your health, I've gone even deeper to bring you some supercharged smoothie cubes that are loaded with antioxidant foods.

How to use antioxidant foods in smoothies

The recipe below is for antioxidant smoothie cubes. I use smoothie cubes to boost target nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, healthy fat, and electrolytes as well as to aid in eliminating inflammation in my body. These cubes pack a whole lot of natural health into small rectangles, and are a great smoothie booster to have on hand.

To utilize various antioxidant foods, blend up the below recipe, pour into ice cube trays, then freeze. Once frozen, store in a freezer safe container. To use, simply replace ½ to 1 cup of fruit in your next smoothie with a few of these antioxidant cubes, then enjoy.

Give your smoothie a viscous boost of ruby red goodness with these our natural DIY antioxidant berry cubes you can make at home.

Best Antioxidant Foods in Smoothie Cubes

5

from

5

votes

Print Recipe

Take advantage of the best antioxidant foods by blending them together. These tasty, nutrient-dense Antioxidant Berry Smoothie Cubes are easy to add to any smoothie recipe.

Total Time

4

hours

Servings

32

ice cubes

Ingredients

• 1

  cup

  cherries

  (sweet or tart)

• 1

  cup

  strawberries

  (hulled and sliced)

• 1

  beet

  (peeled and roughly chopped)

• 1

  cup

  cranberries

• 8

  ounces

  pomegranate juice

Instructions

• Place ingredients into blender in order listed. Puree until smooth.

• Pour liquid into two standard 16-well ice cube trays. (Each well holds about 2 tablespoons liquid.)

• Freeze until solid. Remove from trays and store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to several months.

• To use add 4 cubes to replace ½-1 cup of fruit in your favorite smoothie recipe.

Notes

• Can swap pomegranate juice with ½ cup 100% unsweetened cranberry juice

Nutrition (estimated)

Calories:

11

kcal

(1%)

Carbohydrates:

3

g

(1%)

Protein:

1

g

(2%)

Fat:

1

g

(2%)

Saturated Fat:

1

g

(6%)

Polyunsaturated Fat:

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat:

1

g

Sodium:

3

mg

Potassium:

43

mg

(1%)

Fiber:

1

g

(4%)

Sugar:

2

g

(2%)

Vitamin A:

6

IU

Vitamin C:

3

mg

(4%)

Calcium:

3

mg

Iron:

1

mg

(6%)

More smoothie cube recipes

If you love the idea of boosting your smoothie, then I've got more super fun + effective smoothie cube recipes:

Which one of these recipes sounds like something you need? Comment below letting me know your fav option, as well as how your antioxidant food smoothie cubes turned out!