Today we are talking about functional nutrition , while the term superfood is going out of fashion: nothing more than a tailor-made diet that is more attentive to our nutritional needs, with key foods that, due to their characteristics, can make a significant contribution to our health.

These foods, more than superfoods, now attract our attention with the name of “functional foods”: we can find them in specialized stores, and if we are lucky enough to live in cities like Milan, Rome or Turin, it is very likely that they are already present in our markets and in specialized shops.
But maybe we don’t know them and have never tried them. 
If in fact coconut oil, edamame or algae are foods that more or less we all know, today is the time for new functional foods that no one in Italy (yet) talks about.

FUNCTIONAL FOODS: THE NEW GENERATION SUPERFOODS

Baobab fruit: in the dehydrated or vacuum-packed version, you can also find it online, but it can be found in the largest supermarkets, large markets and organic shops. The Baobab fruit is a natural remedy for constipation, and has a great antioxidant power: it contains 6 times the vitamin C of an orange.

Platani: the plane tree is that greenish banana (when it is yellow it is already too sweet), which must be peeled with a knife and which the writer here greatly appreciates. Personally, I cut it into pieces and cook it in the oven or grill it or stir it in a pan with garlic, oil and chilli: it has a lower glycemic index than banana, and is one of the few sources of resistant starch . Resistant starch nourishes good bacteria and reduces fat assimilation. Additionally, plantains have a lot more potassium than a regular banana. From north to south Italy, it is now easily found in the markets.