Superfoods: fruit and veg

Superfoods: watercress

Widely regarded as one of the oldest superfoods, watercress is highly nutritious. Rich in folate, iron, calcium, vitamins A, C and E, lutein and quercetin, watercress can make a great addition to the diet. Watercress has a peppery, slightly hot flavour which is somewhat reduced when it is cooked. Add watercress to salads with a citrus dressing, soups, sandwiches or wilt slightly to serve as a hot vegetable. It's in season from March to October.

Gram for gram, watercress contains 12 times more vitamin C than lettuce and more iron than spinach. It’s also rich in several of the B vitamins, betacarotene, magnesium and potassium. Watercress contains a host of phytochemcials, many of which have been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties. A study is currently being carried out by Ulster University to investigate the potential of watercress to prevent colorectal cancer.

Use watercress instead of lettuce in salads or sandwiches. Alternatively, you can add it to stirfries as you would spinach, or steam it, then purée and stir into mashed potato.