3 Superfoods That Are Even Better In Autumn

3 Superfoods That Are Even Better In Autumn

As the leaves get crisper and the evenings get cooler, warm drinks and comfort foods tend to make their way into our brains (and Pinterest boards).

But how can you make these treats both healthy and nutritious? That’s where our superfoods come in. These supplements are great year-round, but they’re even better when the temperatures drop and you can toss them into some cool-weather recipes.

By infusing these concoctions with some of our favorite superfoods and supplements, you can make these autumnal treats work harder for you and your health.

Chaga Extract

Chaga extract powder is derived from the chaga mushroom, which tends to grow on birch trees in Siberian forests. The best chaga extract has been found to contain a wide array of nutrients, antioxidants and adaptogenic properties. The extract can be used in dozens of beverage recipes, but the one that we love to make come autumn is the chaga chai latte.

Chaga Chai Latte
  • 1 cup chaga tea using chaga extract powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • A pinch of black peppercorn
  • A few green cardamom pods
  • A few cloves
  • 1 ginger slice
  • ½ cup milk or coconut milk
  • Maple syrup or honey (to taste)
  1. In a pan, bring 1 cup of chaga tea to a boil with cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves and ginger. (To make chaga tea, simply drop a handful of chunks of chaga extract powder into a 1 liter pot of boiling water. Let simmer until the water turns reddish brown [about an hour in order to extract the bioactive ingredients]. Then strain the tea.)
  2. Add ½ cup of milk to the pan and bring to a boil.
  3. Remove pan from heat and strain liquid into a mug.
  4. Add either maple syrup or honey to taste.

Pine Pollen

Pine pollen extract, as the name implies, comes from the pollen of mature pine trees. It has been a main ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Pine pollen has actually been found to be one of the most complete sources of nutrition out there. This superfood is extremely versatile and can act as a booster for many recipes. It can be used to make instant drinks, smoothies, desserts and flour. A lot of people even buy pine pollen extract to use as a thickener in soups. This powder has an extremely neutral flavor profile, making it the perfect addition to the following festive spiced tonic.

Spiced Pine Pollen Tonic
  • 1 tbsp. pine pollen extract powder
  • 1 tsp. mesquite
  • 1 scoop grass-fed whey protein powder or a vegan protein alternative like hemp or coconut protein
  • 1 cup dragon herb gynostemma tea
  • 1 dash ground or freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2 dashes ground or freshly ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. peppermint extract
  • Stevia to taste
  • A pinch of cinnamon or cacao nibs for garnish
  1. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Once boiling, steep bag of gynostemma tea for 3 minutes.
  2. While tea steeps, add all of the remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender. Then add the brewed tea to the blender. Blend on medium for about a minute.
  3. Pour mixture into a mug and garnish with cinnamon or use cacao nibs for more of a chocolate taste.

Matcha

Matcha is made up of the finely ground powder from green tea leaves. Matcha literally means “powdered tea.” This organic powder is high in nutritional antioxidants and considered to be one of the most powerful superfoods on the market today. There are dozens upon dozens of recipes utilizing matcha. But when autumn comes around, we like to whip out this recipe for glazed matcha pound cake.

Matcha Pound Cake

Cake

  • 2 tbsp. matcha powder
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk or coconut milk

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 5 tsp. milk or coconut milk
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt and matcha powder, then set aside. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add extracts, then beat in the dry ingredients and the milk in two alternating steps.
  3. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 1 hour, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  4. To make the glaze, simply whisk together powdered sugar, milk and almond extract. Pour glaze over warm cake and serve.

Using superfoods and supplements to create these tasty recipes helps boost your diet and daily well-being. Try these and more from Superfoods Australia today for enhanced nutrition.