Broccoli, kale and cauliflower, oh my! These superfood veggies are better known as cruciferous vegetables because they fall into the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family. Members of the cruciferous vegetable family also include other veggies like cabbage, bok choy and Brussels sprouts.

Considered super foods for your body, cruciferous vegetables contain vitamins, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals. A variety of components in this veggie family has been known to lower cancer risks.

According to the American Institute of Cancer Research, these vegetables have the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells or help regulate a complex system of bodily enzymes that defend against cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables are not only healthy, they're portable, too! If you're not eating enough vegetables, it's never to late to start.

You can purchase these cruciferous vegetables or other veggies ready-to-go in the frozen- or fresh-packed sections of your grocery store. In fact, they can all be added to salads, stew or soups to give you a sense of satiety, along with adding nutrients to your daily diet.

Now that you've got a reason (and way) to get more veggies in your diet, check out That's Fit's exercises to get your body moving!

Want to drop a few pounds? Here's what you need: Protein and fiber. Both keep you feeling fuller longer, which means you're less likely to snack and more likely to maintain your weight. Enter these six Super Foods -- quinoa, pomegranate, Goji berries, almond butter, eggs, and green tea.

Take a peek at this AOL News video and learn more about these super six -- you'll also discover that one of these foods is a great substitute for rice, one contains more beta carotene than carrots, and one has been used for medicinal purposes for 2,000 years.

What foods do you find super enough to fight flab?

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I'm not a big fan of "superfoods." I think there are a lot of foods that are super, and I think that most of them are easily accessible to the vast majority of people. Focusing on one funny-sounding food as a nutritional miracle does a disservice to the more common fruits and veggies we eat every day.

So I'm thrilled that the NYT Well Blog made a list of 11 healthy (but not uncommon) foods that we aren't eating, and that, for the most part, everyone will recognize the foods on the list.

Not only will you recognize them, but you'll probably even be able to get them at your local grocer. The idea behind lists like this is that we all should be eating a wide variety of foods, to ensure that we're getting the proper vitamins and minerals. So every time you add a new food to your palate, you're also adding a new source of good nutrition.

So here's the list:

• beets
• cabbage
• Swiss chard
• cinnamon
• pomegranate juice
• prunes
• pumpkin seeds
• sardines
• turmeric
• frozen blueberries
• canned pumpkin
  
  

What about you? Is there a healthy food you aren't eating? Check out the gallery below for 25 you ought to embrace.

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While recently picking up some protein powder at my local Vitamin Shoppe retail store, I happened upon a promotional table for a so-called "Super Food" vegetable drink mix.

"Hey, man. Do you wanna' try some greens?," an upbeat, Toni Robbins-esque voice said in a way that sounded more like a command than a question.

"Um, no. Actually, what the heck do you mean?," was my best attempt at fending off the retail assault.

"Check it out. I know you're going to like this," he said, knowing that I was already at his mercy for the next few minutes.

And so it went, for far more than a few minutes I listened to Mr. Positive talk to me about a vegetable-based product that his company was selling in Vitamin Shoppe retail stores nationwide. He handed me some literature on their product lines and let me try samples of their drink mixes, each containing 72 "Super Foods."

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Do you want to get a major dose of antioxidants, vitamin C and cancer-fighting compounds? Eat some strawberries.

This week, we are adding strawberries to our growing list of Super Foods. They are in season, dripping with nutritious juices and the sweet-tartness that lends itself to a variety of dishes.

Want to know how to add more strawberries to your diet? Then read on, berry-lovers, and embrace the recipes that will show you how to add strawberries to each meal of the day.

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

OK, OK, if you are a vegetarian, don't eat turkey. You'll find your low-fat, high protein sources somewhere else. But for those of you who do eat meat, don't reserve turkey for that November feast only. It qualifies as a Super Food, folks, so you'll want to eat this one on a regular basis.

Most of the foods we consider "super" are not from animals (good thing for you vegetarians). So how did turkey make this esteemed list? It is a better source of protein than most meats (chicken and beef), turkey breast is the lowest fat meat you can buy and it is high in B vitamins which can help protect against cancer.

Here are some quick and easy ways to eat more turkey:

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

So many of the Super Foods we hear about, eat and adore are jam-packed with nutrition. This is also true of the artichoke, which is loaded with essential minerals, folate, vitamin C and fiber, but it is not my favorite thing about this vegetable.

Did you know that eating artichokes can actually help keep your liver functioning optimally? This means your body can filter out toxins more efficiently, which means overall better health for you. And what a nice addition to a springtime cleansing routine.

Are you confused on what "superfoods" are? You are not alone, as many nutritionists and natural food experts sometimes list only some superfoods in the lists they promote -- but the "real" list is quite long, really.

It's pretty much agreed upon that foods containing rich sources of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients are considered "superfoods".

Want an entire list? Here goes: avocados, apples, blueberries, cabbage, fish, garlic, mushrooms, almonds, eggs, flaxseed's, pomegranate, red wine, dark chocolate, beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts, yogurt, Acia fruit, anything in the "Allium Family", barley, green foods, buckwheat, beans and lentils, hot peppers, nuts and seeds, sprouts , yogurt and kefir.

All these foods came from lists with good (or even a little iffy) credibility. You decide -- see all the lists here.

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I have to avoid some foods very much on purpose sometimes, because I know they create a sort of "viscious circle" of cravings. When I indulge once it gets harder not to indulge again, and again...and before you know it I've blown a whole week of dieting -- and I feel heavy and tired and gross.

On the other end of the spectrum, most healthy foods are well advertised and come to mind easily, even if we don't always choose to eat them. But still, I was a little surprised by what made this list of 5 superfoods for weight loss. Along with grapefruit and green tea was sardines, canned pumpkin, and grass fed beef. In a list that could only have 5 things these are not the foods I expected to see. I will say, though, that the article does make good arguments for having them there and it definitely made me think of some new snack ideas!

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