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Uncommon Superfoods to Add to Your Diet: Benefits, How to Use

Uncommon Superfoods to Add to Your Diet: Benefits, Uses, and Where to Find Them

Written by Published on in Nutrition, Plant-Based Lifestyle

Are you eating the same foods over and over? While familiar staples have their place, your body may benefit from trying new things. There are many lesser-known yet nutrient-dense uncommon superfoods that can bring your meals to the next level and support your overall well-being. This guide dives deeper into some powerful, underused ingredients — their benefits, how to use them, and where to find them.

Uncommon Superfoods to Add to Your Diet

Table of contents

Tigernuts

Why to consider: Tigernuts are not actually nuts — they’re tubers, making them naturally gluten-free and suitable for nut-free diets. Moreover, they’re rich in resistant starch (a prebiotic fibre), iron, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants.

Benefits:

  • Improve gut microbiome and digestion.
  • Support cardiovascular health due to healthy fats.

How to eat:

  • Cubes: Toast lightly and sprinkle over porridge or smoothie bowls
  • Flour: Use in bliss balls, cookies, and brownies
  • Flakes: Great in muesli and baked goods

Where to find: Organic and specialty food stores, or online health food retailers.

Recipe Ideas:

Amla Berries (Indian Gooseberries)

Why to consider: One of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, amla offers potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Benefits:

  • Enhances liver detoxification.
  • Supports immune function and reduces oxidative stress.
  • Good for digestion
  • Is often used to stimulate hair growth
  • Supports kidney health

How to eat:

  • Powder: Add to morning bowls, smoothies, or mix into porridge

Where to find: Organic powders online or at Ayurvedic shops

Recipe Ideas: I’m adding freeze dried amla juice powder to my morning protein bowl.

Lingonberries as Uncommon Superfoods

Why to consider: Tart Nordic berries high in anthocyanins and polyphenols that grow in northern Europe.

Benefits:

  • Improve gut microbiota
  • May help lower blood sugar spikes
  • Promote heart health
  • May protect eye health
  • High in antioxidants

How to eat:

  • Blend into smoothies, add to porridges, or morning bowls

Where to find: Frozen or powdered in specialty and Nordic markets

Goji Berries

Why to consider: A nutrient-dense uncommon superfood with multiple health benefits.

Benefits:

  • Rich in zeaxanthin, supports eye health
  • Contains melatonin, may enhance sleep

How to eat:

  • Soaked in salads, porridge, or as a snack

Where to find: Natural food stores or online

Recipe ideas:

Ancient Grains as Uncommon Superfoods

What to consider: Amaranth and sorghum are gluten-free ancient grains with a high nutritional profile.

Benefits:

  • Amaranth: This ancient grain is rich in fibre and protein, as well as many important micronutrients. In particular, it is a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.
  • Sorghum: A nutrient-rich cereal grain. It’s low in fat, but high in protein, fibre, B vitamins, and micronutrients. For example, vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B6, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc.

How to eat:

  • Porridges, stews, soups, salads, and as a side
  • Sorghum is also great in muffins or breads

Where to find: Organic markets and online grain retailers

Recipe Idea: Sorgum Muffins

Plant-Based Proteins: Pea Protein & Hemp Protein Flour

Why to consider: Additive-free, digestible protein sources.

Benefits:

  • Pea protein: High quality protein rich in leucine and iron. Supports muscle growth, weight loss, and heart health.
  • Hemp protein: Contains all nine essential amino acids, plus fibre, healthy fats, and minerals. It’s also has an ideal 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Incredibly rich source of minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper.

How to eat:

  • Pea protein: Protein bowls, smoothies, bliss balls, and energy bars
  • Hemp flour: With plant yogurt, berries, or in baking

Where to find: Organic food shops and online retailers

Recipe Ideas:

  • I’m adding both to my morning protein bowl.
  • For a wholesome dessert or snack, mix hemp protein flour with plant-based milk/yogurt, add date sugar and some berries.

Broccoli Sprouts as Uncommon Superfoods

Why to consider: One of the richest natural sources of sulforaphane.

Benefits:

  • Boosts liver detox enzymes.
  • Supports cellular health and antioxidant response.
  • Balances hormones.

How to eat:

  • On salads, in wraps, sandwiches, or smoothie bowls

To learn more about broccoli sprouts:

      Nutritional Yeast

      Why to consider: Nutrient-rich, plant-based source of B-vitamins.

      Benefits:

      • Fortified with B12 for vegans
      • Contains beta-glucans to support immune function

      How to eat:

      • On salads, in soups, hummus, curries, or dressings

      Where to find: Supermarkets, natural food stores

      Recipe idea: make an easy and delicious dressing mixing nutritional yeast, some miso, and water.

      Beet Greens

      Why to consider: beet greens are one of the uncommon superfoods that are often overlooked, yet highly nutritious.

      Benefits:

      • High in vitamin K, calcium, and antioxidants
      • May support detoxification and digestive health

      How to eat:

      • Boil stems 5 mins, add leaves for 1-2 mins, discard water
      • Use like any leafy greens

      Where to find: Farmer’s markets or grow your own

      Whole Cooked Mature Soybeans

      Why to consider: High-protein, whole-food soy alternative.

      Benefits:

      • Contain complete protein and isoflavones for heart and bone health
      • Support hormonal balance and metabolic health

      How to eat:

      • In stews, soups, hummus, salads, oven-roasted for snacks

      Where to find: Cook from dry or buy frozen in specialty stores

      Recipe Ideas:

      Spring Foraging Items

      What to consider: Wild garlic, nettle, and ground elder are seasonal uncommon superfoods.

      Benefits:

      • Nettle: Rich in minerals and chlorophyll, supports energy and detox
      • Wild garlic: Natural antimicrobial, supports immune health
      • Ground elder: Rich in vitamin E and C containing lots of antioxidants.

      How to eat:

      • In pestos, stews, soups, and salads

      Where to find: Forage responsibly or visit local farmers’ markets

      Recipe Ideas:

      Whole Food Sweeteners as Uncommon Superfoods: Date Flour, Mesquite, Lucuma & Carob

      Date Flour

      Why to consider: Whole food sweetener with intact fibre and nutrients.

      Benefits:

      • Contains potassium, antioxidants, and fibre
      • Less processed than other sugars, retains minerals

      How to eat:

      • In bliss balls, brownies, cookies, sprinkled on porridge or desserts

      Where to find: Health stores or online

      Recipe Ideas:

      Mesquite, Lucuma, & Carob

      Why to consider: Low-GI natural sweeteners with rich flavour

      Benefits:

      • Lucuma: High in polyphenols and may help regulate blood sugar
      • Mesquite: High in calcium, potassium, and magnesium
      • Carob: good source of fibre, calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin K, riboflavin, vitamin E, and other antioxidants.

      How to eat:

      • In smoothies, bliss balls, porridges, raw candies, or baking

      Where to find: Organic markets, online wellness retailers

      Recipe Ideas:

      Additional resources to learn more about carob, mesquite, and lucuma:

      Final Thoughts on Those Uncommon Superfoods

      Integrating even a few of these foods into your regular meals can help you diversify your nutrition, support optimal health, and keep meals exciting. Nature’s variety is vast — and sometimes the most powerful foods are the ones hiding in plain sight.

      Sources:

      Should you desire to go deep into each uncommon superfood, check out these articles and studies:

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