If Kale is Not the King of Super Foods, What Is?

So called "super foods" have been getting a lot of attention recently, with kale often touted as one of the most bountiful sources of nutrients. Yet, according to a new study from William Paterson University on the most nutrient-dense fruit and vegetables, kale didn't even scrape into the top 10.

Only those foods considered "powerhouse" fruit and vegetables were included on the list. These had to have 10% or more of the average daily recommended intake over 17 different nutrients that are considered to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

So who won? The humble watercress was crowned the new number one superfood. The Sydney Morning Herald's Sarah Berry explained that cress had the best cross-section of critical nutrients, and contained 312% of the daily recommendation of vitamin K, among other nutrients. Ironically, it was a favourite of Hippocrates about 2,400 years ago, who called it the "cure of cures".

Chinese cabbage came second, followed by chard/silverbeet in third place and beet green at number 4. Next came spinach, then chicory/curly endive at 6, leaf lettuce at 7, parsley at 8, Romaine lettuce/cos at number 9 and Collar green rounded out the number 10 spot.

And kale? It came in at number 15.

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Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.

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