Superfood electronic version

The so-called "superfood electronic version" is essentially a searchable digital toolkit that strips away marketing premiums and only retains data on high-nutrient-density ingredients verified by authoritative nutritional testing, dietary taboos, and matching plans. It is neither a health bible that can cure all diseases, nor a worthless IQ tax collection. Its practical value depends entirely on the user's needs and usage methods.

I first saved the prototype of the first edition in 2021 when I was working as a part-time nutritionist in a fitness studio. At that time, many members were deceived by personal trainers or short videos, and spent thousands of dollars to move chia seeds, acai berry powder, and freeze-dried kale home. After eating them for half a month, they either had gastrointestinal problems or had no effect at all, and they were all piled up in the lockers gathering dust. I simply compiled a document of less than 20 pages based on the food ingredient list of the Chinese Nutrition Society and several superfood research reports in core journals. It clearly listed the nutrient density of each ingredient, suitable groups, and pitfalls. It even marked the degree of water soaking that would not destroy the activity. It slowly spread in the circle and was called the "superfood electronic version".

It's quite interesting to say that this thing has become more and more popular in the past two years, and I have received two completely opposite feedbacks. There are staunch opponents who say that this is a new vehicle for collecting IQ taxes. A friend who works in agriculture once calculated it for me. The dietary fiber and calcium content of Internet celebrity kale are almost the same as those of rapeseed that we often eat, but the price is 8 times that of rapeseed. He bought a can of freeze-dried kale powder himself, but it was too bitter to swallow when it was washed out. It is better to stir-fry a plate of rapeseed every day. This statement is indeed well-founded. I have compared third-party test reports before and found that the difference in core nutrient content of many imported superfoods that have been touted as high-end and local affordable ingredients is far less than the price difference. I have also specifically listed an equivalent comparison table in my own document, just to prevent people from spending money indiscriminately.

But on the other hand, there are also many people who say it is useful. Last year, I drove to Xinjiang for half a month. Most of the food along the way was beef, mutton and pasta. I could hardly eat fresh green leafy vegetables. So I took two bags of freeze-dried broccoli slices without additives and drank them in mineral water every day. I didn't suffer from constipation and internal heat like before during my previous business trip. There is also a friend who works as an auditor. She often eats takeout for a week in a row to catch up on projects. She stores the electronic version of the fast food combination on her mobile phone. When ordering takeout, she specially adds a portion of blanched spinach and a small bag of water made with sugar-free cocoa powder. It is much more reliable than her colleagues who rely on vitamin tablets every day. For people who are unable to eat a balanced diet under special circumstances, these concentrated ingredients with high nutritional density are indeed a cost-effective supplement.

I am actually a centrist, so when I updated the version later, I specially added an "IQ tax red list" to specifically list those categories that have been priced at a premium of more than 10 times, such as an imported brand of non-alkalized cocoa powder, which costs more than ten yuan in the supermarket. There is no added cocoa powder, and the flavanol content difference is less than 5%. After I stupidly bought three cans, I directly put that brand on the blacklist. Now, every time someone asks me for an electronic version, I specifically tell you to read this page first, and don’t be fooled by marketing rhetoric.

Many people's first reaction after getting the electronic version is to buy it all according to the list above. It is really unnecessary. I have been using it myself for almost three years. I never go out of my way to gather all the ingredients. I usually scan the leftover dishes at home before cooking and search for the corresponding combination plan. Last week, I had half a pumpkin and a handful of spinach left at home. After searching, I found that the pumpkin is steamed until soft, mixed with chopped spinach, added with eggs and spread into pancakes. It has a low GI value and is supplemented with beta carotene. I ate it for breakfast for three days, and it is much more delicious than the steamed buns bought outside.

To put it bluntly, this thing is just a tool. If you use it as a reference and avoid pitfalls to choose ingredients that suit you, it will be useful.； If you use it as a health-preserving magic medicine and think that eating two spoons of acai berry powder can prevent aging for ten years, then it must be an IQ tax. Oh, by the way, I sent the latest version to my mother last time, and she uses it even more than I do now. She even gave it to her old sisters during square dancing, saying that now before buying quinoa, she always checks how to soak it so that it doesn’t become astringent, so as not to make it taste like bird feed, and the whole family won’t touch it.