Essential Superfoods. Superfoods of 2018: You heard it here first!

We are officially in the last week of 2017! How did that happen!? As we look ahead to 2018, I am going to call it. These are going to be five of the "it" foods of the year ahead. (Another upcoming food darling is one I called back in November: cauliflower smoothies. Check out one way to love it here.)

Without further ado, the five essential superfoods to watch (and enjoy) in 2018:

Collagen Peptides

You girls have heard me and seen me love on my Vital Protein Collagen Peptidesfor forever now, but I'm calling it: they're going to be huge this year!

Hands down thebestcollagen peptides on the market are from Vital Proteins! There aresomany reasons to love collagen, and ways to include it effortlessly into your daily routine.

Quick rundown: collagen is a nutrient that's already found in our bodies. It's literally in each part of our body from our skin and hair to our bones and even our vital organs! But around 25, we start seeing our collagen levels drop off, so it's super important to give your body a little boost by supplementing.

Vital Protein's Collagen Peptides are without question the best of the best. I don't know what I'd do without them! Their collagen peptides are flavorless, so you can literally dump them in anything. Coffee, smoothies, yogurt, soups… even water!? I could sit here all day typing out the ways I've added them in the past…

Also, who doesn't want to look younger and have an all-natural glow from the inside out? Anyone? Right, thought not! Collagen Peptides give you that glow you're after, naturally. Uh hello! Sign me UP!?

Quinoa

It's the food you can't pronounce but should be eating anyway. I know it's not new, but it shouldn't be forgotten. Little known fact: 2013 was the "International Year of Quinoa"… who knew!? Since I'm sure NONE of you celebrated it, let's make up for it this coming year! Who's with me!?

Quinoa is a gluten-free seed (not a grain or cereal) that's fairly closely related to spinach and beets, but tastes like neither. It's a really versatile rice-like substitute and I love it. It's on my weekly shopping list and is great in so many recipes for any meal of the day. I share so many favorite quinoa recipes in Guiltless Nutrition Lifestyle and Recipe Book so you can love it, too!

Matcha

Okay, I'm sensing a trend here… this one's tricky to say, too! Don't be scared, this little green goddess is packed full of so many antioxidants that fight inflammation in the body – including after a tough sweat sesh! One of the antioxidants, ECGC, is also linked with a boost in your metabolism! Yes, please!

Plus, matcha is delightfully caffeinated… in a chill sorta way. Everyone who drinks it says that it gives them an "alert calm"… so say hello to perky alertness without the jitters that coffee can induce.?

We did a whole post about matcha, so be sure to check it out for some killer recipes. I love to double dip courtesy of Vital Protein's Matcha Collagen. Just love me a product that has high quality Japanese matcha and my beloved collagen peptides all wrapped in one (pretty, green) package!

Moringa

No one is talking about this one, so you def heard it here first, but moringa is going to be up there as a top trend of 2018 (right along with cauliflower smoothies). It's another purty green powder chalk full of amazing goodness.

I could literally do an entire post on moringa (and will soon) but for now, I'll share this:it has more vitamin A than carrots, more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more potassium than a banana, more vitamin E than almonds, more iron than spinach, and that's just the start of it!?

Moringa normalizes blood sugar, stimulates hair growth, reduces wrinkles, and improves gut health. Not to mention, it's an amazing source of protein. This little tree can do it all, my friends!

So, now what? Well, here is my favorite moringa smoothie recipe (and yes, it totally has cauliflower in it too!) And here's the one I use. So, stock up and enjoy! Seriously ladies, you heard it here first.

Pink Pineapples

Obviously… we already knew that pineapples were everything!? I mean, LOOK at her!

So, aside from being pretty, these are also REAL! Apparently they've been workin' on these beauts for over a decade and let me say- well worth it! They get their pink color from lycopene, which is what gives watermelons and tomatoes their coloring, and it also makes this pretty pineapple even sweeter.

Quick note here: yes, that does mean it's GMO. I know that so many people are freaked by that label, but without getting too nerdy, genetically modified organisms are safe, and actually really important ( you can read more here). Also, we would have 0 watermelons in the world if we got rid of all GMOs, and I don't want to live in a world without watermelons!

Super ready for 2018!

You heard it here first, ladies! These 5 are going to be all over the food scene come 2018, so get a few days' jump on the trends because 2018 is literally right around the corner. I personally cannot wait for all it has in store for me, you, and #teamlsf. It's going to be the best year yet– I can just feel it!

Drop us a line at @lovesweatfitnessand @teamlsfto share how you plan to ring in the New Year with the new superfoods! Happy New Year to you, LSF babes!

This post was sponsored by Vital Proteins and while I was compensated to write this post, all opinions are my own and I only share products and brands I personally use and 100% truly LOVE!