Stacking Super Foods to Optimize Nutrition

Looking to eat healthier without overhauling your whole diet? One of the best strategies is combining key nutrients in multiple foods. Pink grapefruit, cabbage, and jicama are each very different, but they have much in common nutritionally—and that’s great news for your body. By stacking superfoods together, you can increase the amount of nutrients in a meal and enjoy the synergy of nutrients working together to improve your health.

Let’s review how pink grapefruit, jicama, and cabbage can complement one another. All three of these foods are rich in vitamin C, and that’s a big win. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps strengthen your immune system and aids in wound healing. It supports collagen production, which helps maintain joints and connective tissue and prevents wrinkles that can occur with aging. A little-known fact about Vitamin C is its ability to boost iron absorption. This is a great tool to enhance iron status if you struggle with iron deficiency anemia.

Grapefruit is an all-star here, with just half a fruit offering over 50% of your daily Vitamin C needs. But don’t overlook cabbage—especially the red variety and jicama, which both bring solid amounts of Vitamin C. Fiber is a strong part of our plant-centric diet at Rancho La Puerta for good reason. Fiber supports digestive health by providing food for healthy gut bacteria and helps regulate blood sugar. To lower cholesterol levels, increase your fiber to bind bile in the intestines and prevent it from returning cholesterol to the bloodstream.

Fiber is also important in weight loss, as it keeps you full longer and makes it easier to manage your appetite and weight. While cabbage, grapefruit, and jicama are all great sources of fiber, jicama is especially interesting because it contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds healthy gut bacteria. Potassium is essential for keeping your heart, muscles, and nerves in top shape. By helping to balance fluid in the body, potassium aids in controlling blood pressure and proper muscle contractions. Jicama and grapefruit are both solid sources of potassium, while cabbage adds a bit too. While most people don’t get enough potassium, potassium supplements are not recommended. It is safer to get enough potassium by including foods rich in this nutrient.

Another nutrient these foods have in common is folate. Folate is particularly important during periods of growth like pregnancy. Folate supports DNA synthesis and cell division. It is critical for red blood cell formation and preventing neural tube defects in developing babies. As a B vitamin, is also contributes to energy production within the mitochondria. Cabbage is a standout here, but grapefruit and jicama contribute small amounts of folate too.

Lastly, each of these foods has its unique set of antioxidants:

1. Grapefruit brings lycopene and flavonoids, which have been linked to reduced inflammation and better heart health.

2. Cabbage (especially red) has anthocyanins and glucosinolates, compounds studied for their cancer-fighting potential.

3. Jicama adds antioxidant support mainly through its vitamin C content. These compounds work behind the scenes to reduce oxidative stress and keep your cells healthy.

Pink grapefruit, cabbage, and jicama might seem like an odd trio, but this classic recipe comes straight from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta. It’s an easy way to stack superfoods within a dish to optimize your nutrition. We hope you try it and keep it on repeat this summer. 

Come experience the flavors of wellness—and discover how delicious feeling good can be. Reserve your week at The Ranch today.