Superfood brand research and recommendation activity

Local brands "Yuan Geng Lang Shang" and "Shan Ji" that focus on organic traceability」； "NOW Foods", a functional brand with precise ingredients, and "Swisse superfood line"」 ； It focuses on cost-effective mass brands "Wugu Mofang", "Bicuiyuan" and "Leshimai". This list does not set a unified ranking. Consumers can choose according to their own needs and budget. There is no "one-step optimal solution".

This research lasted for three months. I took my two assistants to 12 offline supermarkets and 4 domestic superfood planting bases, and collected more than 1,200 real negative reviews from a certain Red Book and an e-commerce platform. I also asked two friends with registered dietitian certificates to study the ingredient lists and third-party testing reports for half a month. I can confidently say that all the recommended brands have gone through pitfalls and tested the water. They were not randomly selected based on the draft given by the brand.

Speaking of which, the super food circle itself has been quarreling for many years, with the two factions having opposing views. We did not deliberately take sides in this survey, and the needs of both sides were taken care of. One group is the "fundamentalists", who believe that superfoods must be unprocessed, unadded, and straight from the place of origin. Anything with a little bit of seasoning or additional nutritional supplements is a "pseudo superfood like cutting leeks." My friend Xiao Qin, who has been in the nutrition department of a tertiary hospital for 5 years, is a typical example. She usually only recommends fresh kale and non-alkalized native cocoa beans to her clients. Even freeze-dried ones are considered to have lost some of the active enzymes. The other faction is the "Pragmatist Party". Akai, who does community nutrition science, feels that this requirement is too out of touch with ordinary people's lives. "An office worker doesn't even have time to wash his face in the morning. You ask him to wash half a pound of kale and juice it every day?" If I can persist for 3 days, I lose." In his opinion, as long as the proportion of core ingredients reaches the standard and there are no unnecessary additions, prepackaged superfoods are valuable even if they are added with some natural seasonings to make them easier to eat. It is better than not eating them at all because it is too troublesome.

For example, the original farming ridges that were selected completely met the needs of the fundamentalist party. I went to their kale planting base in Qujing, Yunnan last month. Workers were actually squatting in the fields and pulling weeds manually. They didn’t even dare to use herbicides. Scanning the traceability code of each package of powder can see the entire process of harvesting, freeze-drying, and filling. The pesticide residue test has passed the EU organic standards. The disadvantage is that it is expensive. 50g of kale powder sells for 39, which is suitable for friends who have high requirements for ingredients and have a sufficient budget. Shanji, which is also in the organic category, is even more niche. Their non-alkalized cocoa powder is purchased directly from small farmers in Ecuador. The flavanol retention rate is 30% higher than that of ordinary cocoa powder on the market. However, the taste is really bitter. The first time I drank it with milk, I almost couldn't swallow it. I couldn't accept the pure black chocolate taste. Be careful when purchasing.

Oh, by the way, as a side note, last month a popular internet celebrity acai berry powder brand asked us to cooperate. The price was not low. I took samples for testing and found out that acai berry powder accounted for only 22%, and the rest was all apple powder and maltodextrin. The price was higher than the organic powder from the original farmland. It’s expensive, so we immediately rejected it. When you buy it, don’t just look at the Instagram-style picture on the package. Turn to the back and look at the ingredient list. The first one should be the core raw material you want to buy. If white sugar and maltodextrin are at the top, just pass it. Anyone who has been through the trap will understand.

The two functional brands are old players. NOW Foods has been making dietary supplements for almost 60 years. Their super food line is really "ecstasy with ingredients." For example, the maca powder only has maca, the chia seeds are pure chia seeds, and even the desiccant is food grade. The only problem is that they are all in large packages. 1kg of cocoa powder is enough for you to eat for half a year. If you usually eat less, it is easy to become dehydrated, so it is suitable for family members to eat together or for people who eat frequently. Swisse's super food line has been controversial before. For example, their grape seed powder is added with vitamin C. The fundamentalists think that adding something is impure, but in fact vitamin C can promote the absorption of proanthocyanidins. My sister used to eat pure grape seed powder for 3 months and didn't feel it. After eating it for more than a month, the yellowish gas on her face did subside a bit. Whether it is good or not depends on your needs. If you want pure, don't choose it. If you want good absorption, you can try it.

Everyone should be familiar with several cost-effective brands. Many supermarkets have offline counters of Wugu Mill. Every time I go to the supermarket, my mother always brings two packs of their chia seed mixed cereals. 100g only costs 12 yuan. They are in independent small packages. You can just carry them in your bag at work to make milk. The only small drawback is that a little maltose is added to adjust the taste. Friends who are particularly strict about sugar control can avoid it. I still drink Bicuiyuan's kale powder in the morning, 9.9 for three packs. Although it is not organic, all pesticide residues have passed the national GB2763 standard. There are no messy additions. It is suitable for students or those who are new to super foods and want to try it. Even if they are not used to it, they will not feel bad if they throw it away. I stocked up on Leshimai's three-color quinoa last year. It's no-wash, so you can just throw it into the pot and cook it. The quinoa I bought on Pinxixi for cheap before was sandy after cooking. I haven't encountered any sandiness after eating this for almost half a year. The price is also affordable, only more than 20 yuan per pound.

In fact, the biggest feeling when doing this recommendation is that there is really no need to pursue "the most expensive is the best". I have seen people spend hundreds of dollars to buy imported superfood powder, but it has expired at home without opening it. I have also seen people buy chia seeds for more than ten yuan, mix them with yogurt every day and eat them for half a year, and their blood lipids have dropped a bit. The one that suits you is the best. If you really can't make up your mind, buy a small package and try it first. It's better than anything else if you feel comfortable eating it and can keep eating it.