Super foods are not only loaded with vitamins and minerals, but they also contain disease-fighting and immune-boosting properties for all of your nutritional needs. Luckily, many super foods can be grown right here in your own Colorado vegetable garden, including asparagus, sweet potatoes, beets and pumpkins.
You can enjoy the following super foods in the comfort of your own home garden. With the right care, some of them can be grown nearly year-round.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Blueberries. These tasty blue jewels are loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants and phytoflavinoids. They can improve heart health and are anti-inflammatories. Blueberries grow well in Colorado, and each variety has their own physical characteristics — they’re tall, short, semi-evergreen, deciduous, etc. Blueberries should be planted in spring and will yield fruit in mid-summer. Most plants will thrive for 20 years or more.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Kale. Kale is a tough, leafy green. It’s less palatable when raw, and experts have found that blanched and cooked kale are the healthier way to eat this vegetable. Kale can be steamed, roasted, or dehydrated and eaten on its own. This plant contains calcium, vitamins A, C and K, as well as copper, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. This crop can be grown nearly year-round, and may make it through the winter if you have a greenhouse.
Source: Doc’s Fitness Tips
Chia Seeds. Chia offers a two-for-one bonus. Their colorful blooms (Salvia columbariae) are already members of most wildflower gardens. If you up the chia ante and harvest the seeds, your family will benefit from omega-3 fatty acids, known for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol and improving energy. Chia seeds have a higher calcium content than milk and are comprised of 30 percent protein. Best planted in April and May, chia seeds bloom in the summer, and seeds can be harvested in the fall.
Contact Lifescape Colorado to incorporate super foods into your Colorado vegetable garden. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy both a beautiful and an edible landscape!
