August 2, 2011
(last updated February 22, 2024) 
Have you heard of Julie Morris? If you haven’t yet, you should make a point of getting to know her. She’s one of the most talented, innovative, and charming personalities in the business, and by “business,” I mean the world of men and women who love to talk about—and to prepare—whole, plant-based, semi-raw food. Julie’s recipes epitomize everything I love about food: they’re healthy, flavorful, and simple. The flavors are vibrant, but light and bright. And they combine an intense interest in health science with an epicurean’s love of the sensual pleasures of eating.
I got to know Julie about a year ago, all via email, and we quickly established that, if we weren’t separated by the US mainland (she’s LA-based) we’d probably be spending a lot of our time together. As it is, she’s one of my funniest and most effusive penpals. When I learned that Julie was at work on a book about superfoods, I was both excited and conflicted. On the one hand, I’d read anything this woman wrote. On the other, I spend a lot of time debunking the idea of an elite and magical class of food labeled as “super.” (See this post for a summary of my thoughts on the idea of a “superfood.”)
Additionally, it’s hard to spend any time in raw circles without growing weary of the obsession with exotic South American berries and mysterious powdered blends of…stuff. Because the term “superfood” is unregulated, it’s hard to know which claims are bogus and which aren’t, how subjective the criteria of food manufacturers are, and whether these foods are really “super” at all. To me, it’s always seemed as though most superfoods are simply food that are on the healthier side, dressed up and priced as if they’re poised to perform miracles.
Julie Morris has singlehandedly changed my mind. Her new book, Superfood Cuisine, is probably the single best resource out there for anyone who’s curious about superfoods, but also allergic, as I am, to unscrupulous scientific claims. She’s researched the benefits of superfoods meticulously, and she writes about them with the enthusiasm of a nutrition nerd (which I’m guessing all of us here at CR are) and the rationality of an educated consumer. Her approach to superfoods, in the end, isn’t the typical raw foodist extremist’s position that, if we reduce our food intake to these foods and these foods only, we’ll live to be 219, but rather that adding superfoods in small quantities to our everyday cooking can only enhance the health benefits of what we make. That’s Superfood Cuisine in a nutshell: use superfoods not as a replacement for regular food, but rather as supplementary parts of an already sumptuous and flavorful diet.
To help you along, Julie has teamed up with Navitas Naturals—my own personal favorite source of cacao nibs, chia seeds, hemp seeds, lucuma, and cacao powder—to make an entire book’s worth of delicious soups, spreads, grain bowls, salads, desserts, and mouth-watering photos to match. And I’m giving a copy away to one of my readers.
Along with a bag of my favorite Navitas trail mix: goji berries, cacao, and raw cashews:
I’ll go ahead and call this an essential giveaway for anyone who’s curious about the health properties of such things as maca, mesquite, or mulberries, all of which I tried for the first time (and loved!) thanks to Julie:
Am I a little biased here? Sure. I helped to edit the book. But I wouldn’t have helped out with it had not read it and loved it. I don’t change my mind easily about things, and it says a lot about the power of Julie’s voice (and food!) that I have totally reconsidered how I feel about superfood.
In her acknowledgments, Julie says: “To Gena Hamshaw, for all the articulate feedback and premium supply of sass.”
Sass? Moi? Anytime, Julie. Anytime.
To win 1 free copy of Superfood Cuisine by Julie Morris, you can:
1) Comment on this post, telling me how you feel about the idea of “superfoods,” and why!
2) Tweet the following: @choosingraw is giving away a free snack & superfood cookbook by @greenjules! Enter to win: https://bit.ly/qbPyvT
3) Like Superfood Cuisine on Facebook.
4) Like Navitas Naturals on Facebook
5) Follow me on Twitter
Please leave a comment for each entry (so if you tweet, comment back to say you did; each of these four entries counts separately).
I’ll announce the winner on Friday, August 12th!
In light of this super giveaway, I’ll be posting my first ever self-entitled “superfood recipe” tomorrow!
xo
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superfoods make me feel so good about eating and physically too!
I like the idea of superfoods as long as it is emphasized that there are superfoods in every region. The kale and pumpkin and lentils and blueberries I can get where I live are just as super as amazon peanuts, yacon, maca, etc.
I am no super foods fanatic myself, I much prefer the idea of local. However, there are some superfoods out there that are really tasty! I love adding goji berries to my tea, and I think mullberries taste awesome!
Liked Navitas Naturals on Facebook.
Liked Superfood Cuisine on Facebook.
It’s been tweeted! 🙂
Great giveaway, thanks for the opportunity! I love the idea of superfoods as foods that are nutrient dense and pack a lot of good things for my health. Superfoods give a lot more than just calories.
Changing one’s diet to vegan is a sure sign one will get ‘superfoods’ into their diet, even if they are new to the lifestyle and still ‘replacing’ their old habits with vegan options, e.g vegie burgers made between a wheat bun. Plant based diets are a super food diet and it is proven time and time again with recovered cancer patients who decided to take this route in their road to recovery. By adding these ‘superfoods’ Navitas is offering the world, increases ones attempts at a healthy lifestyle tenfold. You think you’re healthy now?…Just you wait! I am yet to go beyond spirulina and chia at the moment simply because of my financial situation does not allow me to, but with this book in hand, I know I will be inspired to scrimp and save to get more into my diet. I love the idea of adding ‘weird’ ingredients into my food and learning how to get rid of ‘fillers’ in my cooking. Fillers is what the world desperately does not need right now. Bring on the addition of superfood ingredients!!! Can’t wait!
Dearest Gena, can non-US folk enter? If so, then my feelings on superfoods are a mixture of skepticism and green-eyed crankypants, as many “superfoods” are nigh impossible for me to access in my city of Australia… even if I were to throw myself whole-heartedly into believing their claims of near-immortality! 😉
I am vegetarian and vegan for last 2 months. I am very much attached to milk at emotional level due to cultural and religious reasons (Not cheese or other stuff, just milk)
So the idea of superfood is new to me, which I have not started to explore as of now.
Also, due to commercial farming, soil is not super anymore. So I think superfood will fill that intestinal gap as well(Even organic food is less nutritious now, than it was 50 years ago)
Also went and liked Superfood Cuisine!
Thanks. 🙂
Friended Navitas Zach AND liked Navitas Naturals!!
I love the idea of superfoods because they make it just a little bit easier to get what you need! They also taste great. 🙂
I also like the fact that she seems to know her stuff and has put it in a book! So many claim that certain things are superfoods and will cure all ailments, but that’s not the case. They are great for supplementing an already good lifestyle.
i clicked “like” on the Superfood Cuisine page on Facebook
I’ve never really heard of “superfoods”, but I think anything from the earth, and closest to its natural form is super!
love the number of ways i can express my desire for this cookbook!
I think anything that is a whole, real food should be considered a “superfood”. I don’t like distinguishing among them though.
I liked Superfood Cuisine!
I believe in the promotion of whole, natural foods. I agree that some foods may be “richer” in certain properties or have a greater combination of properties, but I’m not convinced we have to include today’s commonly labeled super foods in our diet in order to be healthy. Is their cost warranted vs. the considerably lower cost of the basics – greens, other veggies, fruits etc.?
I liked Navitas Naturals!
I tweeted about it!
just tweeted the giveaway!
I have always been a bit skeptical about “superfoods” so I would love to read more real research about them. This would be a great read!
I consider simple foods like seaweed, dark leafy greens, carrots and brown rice to be super foods. Those are the foods that make me feel the best when I eat them. I don’t doubt that goji berries, cacao nibs and other “superfoods” have some great nutritional value, but I agree that they get way too much credit and attention in the raw foods world.
I am also confused about super foods. I would love to learn more about it.
And I also added Navitas Naturals on Facebook!
I liked Superfood Cuisine on Facebook!
and liked Superfoods Cuisine on FB!
I tweeted your giveaway – I’m @ShrinkToFitBlog
I love the idea that there are foods out there with such nutrient density that they can be deemed super. The thought makes me want to stock up on all of them and turn into a superhero.
However, I think the term has been overused in the same way that the concept of antioxidants has been overdone. I’ve seen candy boxes labeled as being high in antioxidants. What qualifies a food to be considered super? I don’t know. What I do know is that these foods are high in nutrients, which in my opinion, is adequate enough reason to include them in our diets.
Not only that, but they’re fun! Switching up raisins for mulberries, or vanilla extract for lucuma powder can be a flavorful change. That’s my take on superfoods. They’re healthy, and most of them taste wonderful, so whether or not the word super is an overstatement doesn’t really matter, does it?
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/SerotoninSarah
I liked Navitas on FB!
I LOVE super foods – I’ve been wanting to learn more about them and try out some new ones. This is a fantastic giveaway!
I think you have to be careful with companies marketing foods as super. With some research, however, they can make great additions to our already healthy diets. I am not prone to go to extremes, but have found some superfoods that have smoothly and deliciously become part of my everyday diet – Chia seeds thanks to your chia puddings. I would love to learn more about superfoods and the book looks like a great place to start.
I posted a tweet to enter!
In regards to super foods, I think one’s overall diet is the most important factor, although I do believe there are foods in particular that can do great things for a persons health, I would love to learn more!
Sometimes I get sucked into the hype and believe that “superfoods” really are nutritionally superior, but logically, I share your skepticism. I do love trying these so-called superfoods though, not only because of their presumed health benefits but also because they’re usually exotic and tasty!
I like Superfood Cuisine on Facebook.
I like Navitas Naturals on Facebook.
Tweeted about the giveaway, @goofycancook
I’m all for foods that will give me a better quality of life!
I’ve always had an interest in “superfoods” I think eating as natural as possible is so important to our everyday health. Even if I may have refined sugars and carbs, I try to make everything as natural as possible. Being an allergy sufferer it’s so important for me to have certain staples in my diet.
Also – I’m on the fence about the term superfood more than the foods purported to be superfoods themselves. In my opinion, kale, sweet potatoes, and blueberries are totally superfoods but they’d never really be advertised as such (if vegetables were ever actually advertised, that is!) and while I tend to scoff at fad foods, I appreciate the different and exotic flavors of mesquite powder, goji berries, and chlorella as well as the introduction of otherwise unknown ways to get more vitamins and minerals in.
I have chia seeds and (my all-time favorite superfood) blueberries quite regularly, but I’m interested in learning more about some other “superfoods”.
I “liked” nativas naturals on facebook!
superfoods I will be honest, I pretty much followed your (old) lead on them….a bit overrated and unnecessary to “seek” out if we are already eating a plant based and well balanced diet. They can’t hurt, and maybe can help, but you won’t see me ponying up $9.99 for a tiny bag of this or that *just because* it’s touted as a superfood. What can I say, I am cheap 🙂
I “liked” superfood cuisine on facebook!
I tweeted about this amazing giveaway!
i liked julie on FB
I liked Navitas on FB
The idea of superfoods is very tempting. From the claims one feels that surely each and every one is magic and will bring super health and beauty. However, the price is also super prohibitive. It is expensive enough to base the diet mostly on fruit and vegetables and nuts.
Btw, can one enter this giveaway an unlimited number of times?
As a vegetarian, I love superfoods and I have really noticed a difference in my body AND my mind since I’ve made an effort to incorporate them into my regular diet.
OOh boy.. my thoughts on “superfoods”… lemme start..
they make you feel good, look amazing, healthy, balanced and help prevent you from diseases/cancers/illnesses! Plus, they taste amazing 🙂
I tweeted about the giveaway
This book sounds “super” interesting…I like your comment about us all being nutrition nerds!! So true!
I “liked” Superfood Cuisine on facebook! : )
I think if anything, superfoods are fun new foods to try and experience! And I agree with you and Julie that they’re a great way to add variety and expand our daily repertoire …and if they increase our nutritional intake at the same time, then that’s even better!
I want to know more about superfoods and I’m excited to know how they can help improve my health! : )
I think that the term “superfood” is overused, thereby causing people to end up with misconceptions about the concept/idea. I know that some of the foods I choose to eat are called “superfoods”; however, I like them for reasons other than just their sometimes hyped up nutritional value (I like chia for the way it makes my hemp powder become a pudding like consistency, I love some of the berry powders to flavor my smoothies, etc)
I tweeted about the giveaway!
I liked, and or added Nativas Naturals on Facebook!
I “liked” superfood cuisine on FB!
I liked superfood cuisine
I liked Navitas Naturals on Facebook
I liked Superfood Cuisine on Facebook!
I think the superfood myth is a bunch of bogus and just another way for companies to sell their products. However, I choose to grant the term “superfood” to a few of my favorite and in my opinion, actual superfoods such as hemp seeds, spirulina, chia seeds, nooch, sweet potatoes, avocado, kale and a few more.
Can’t wait for the recipe!
I liked Navitas Naturals
I liked superfood cuisine on facebook.
I liked Navitas Naturals on Facebook!
I tweeted about the giveaway!
1) I retweeted
2)
As someone who had worked closely with a herbal clinician for some time, the idea of majestic “superfoods” sparked my curiosity.
But like you, I was highly suspect of what actually defined what a superfood was, given it’s lack of regulation.
I mean, it really leaves the onus on the consumer to educate themselves on the backround of the product, in order to assess it’s qualities and properties. That there, lies a problem within itself.
Because the word is thrown around so loosely, in the name of nutritional trendiness- many who aren’t raw, vegan, or health food savvy, mightn’t know what to ask or look for when searching out these so called super foods.
I’m a geek when it comes to researching what each and every one of these bits of heavenly goodness has to offer- everything from their chemical structure, to how they might efficiently fit comfortably in to one’s diet, to scrumptious recipes that they might create.
I love what these foods stand for, and the extra boost of health they lend to our lives.
Great article!!
I completely agree that all fruits, veggies, and whole grains are super! But I am forever curious in the kitchen and have just begun experimenting with a few “super foods”. This book would totally help. Awesome give away Gena!
I also liked Nativas Naturals instead of friending Nativas Jack, hope that’s alright!
I liked Superfoods Cuisine!
My opinion on superfoods? I was always a little iffy because I never knew who decided what classified as a superfood but I love the idea! Thanks for this giveaway!
My philosophy on superfoods is that if I like them, that is great because I can get even more great nutrition out of my food. However, I am not going to force myself to eat anything deemmed a “superfood” if I don’t like it.
While, like you Gena, I don’t particularly buy the claims of raw foodists about superfoods, I’m always curious to try out new flavors and foods that fit in a healthy lifestyle. It appears that Julie uses superfoods to enhance the flavor of other whole foods and making them really special.
I entered the giveaway all three other ways 🙂
also like navitas on fb!
“Friended” Navitas Naturals!
“Liked” Superfoods Cuisine!
the payoff is so immediate with superfoods, what’s not to love? personally i love the energy boost most 🙂
I love the idea of super foods, but are concerned when I see how expensive a great deal of the products are. I would hate for people who cannot afford such products to feel discouraged, when in fact any kind of plant based, whole foods are super!
I use superfoods because I believe in the power of belief, and superfoods make me feel like a alchemist in my kitchen, cooking up sorcery and enchantment. Basically, I am a huge fan of the placebo affect and I have a LOT of fun, so why not? =D
I’ve never tried maca, mesquite, or mulberries…but I would be very interested to learn more about superfoods 🙂
And I liked the Superfood Cuisine page with my Vegan Blog page! http://www.facebook.com/VeganYackAttack
I added Nativa Foods on my personal FB account!
I don’t think that superfoods give us the power to extend our lives without considering the rest of our lifestyle-but what’s not to love about trying an exciting and exotic ingredient? I’m all for enjoying new foods!
superfoods to me are superfuel! leave you feeling like your whole being is powered up! I consider broccoli, spinach, blueberries and beets to be my local super staples:)
I liked Superfood Cuisine with Julie Morris on facebook 🙂
I love superfoods, love the clean but fulfilling feeling your body receives from them. (I also liked both pages on FB and tweeted – hope to win!)
Here is my tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/VeganYackAttack/status/98585015033667584
I love the idea of using superfoods to add variety to eating habits which are already focused on getting the best nutrition possible. Superfoods are an exciting way to add new flavors and switch up ingredients in a run-of-the-mill recipe.
I’d love to learn a lot more about superfoods and how they can help me live a healthier life! Anything like this about nutrition is so exciting to me! 🙂
i like the taste of superfoods, but i’m not sure if they give me anything my regular vegan diet doesn’t provide. still tasty though!
Tweeted about this one (@antimaud)
I have mixed feelings about “superfoods”. I think most raw fruit and veggies are “super” due to their nutrition content and how I feel when I eat them! In my opinion, chia seeds and spirulina powder are essential “superfoods.” However, I would love to learn more!
my opinion on super foods = I think all plant based whole foods are super 🙂
I consider most fruits and veggies to be super foods!
liked the super food cuisine!
liked nutiva natruals
i like the ideas, and whats not to love about nutrient rich foods!!!