Superfoods Worth Buying (and Ones That Aren't)

The superfoods worth buying are mostly cheap everyday foods, like chia or linseed, tinned oily fish, oranges, capsicum, frozen berries, oats and beans. Expensive powders and pills are worth buying only when they solve a specific problem, such as a diet that is low in vegetables, and plenty of them are poor value for the reason people buy them. "Superfood" itself is a marketing word, not a scientific category. Here is an honest value check, including products we sell in Australia.

Superfoods worth buying at a glance

Prices are for products we stock, at the time of writing. Food items are supermarket staples.

Why "superfood" is a marketing word

There is no agreed definition of a superfood. An Accredited Practising Dietitian writing for LiveLighter, an Australian healthy eating campaign, calls it "really just a marketing term" and points out that goji and acai berries are sold on their vitamin C, when one orange or half a cup of capsicum already meets a day's needs (LiveLighter). The same article makes the point that fruit, vegetables, lean meat, dairy and wholegrains are affordable and give you what you need when you eat a variety of them.

That does not make every trendy food useless. It just means the label tells you about the marketing budget, not the nutrition. Judge each one on price, what it actually contains per serve and whether you will use it.

Everyday foods that earn the title

• Chia seeds and linseed (flaxseed). The Heart Foundation says 2 to 3 teaspoons of chia or flaxseeds, a handful of walnuts or a tablespoon of canola oil gives about 1 g of plant omega-3 (ALA), its suggested daily amount (Heart Foundation). Sprinkle them on oats or yoghurt.
• Oily fish. The same guidance suggests 2 to 3 serves of fish a week, including oily fish such as salmon, sardines or mackerel, to reach 250 to 500 mg of EPA and DHA a day. Tinned fish is a budget-friendly way to do it.
• Fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. Capsicum, oranges, kiwi fruit and berries cover vitamin C easily, and frozen berries are often cheaper than fresh.
• Oats, beans and lentils. Cheap, filling sources of fibre and carbohydrate, and legumes add protein too.

Supplements that can be worth it

Greens powders, if they fill a real gap

A greens powder will not replace a plate of vegetables, but it can help if you know you rarely eat them and you will actually drink it every day. Look for a fully listed label with fibre per serve rather than vague blends.

• EHP Labs OxyGreens: 2.6 g of fibre per 8.2 g scoop from inulin, barley grass, wheat grass, kale, spinach, spirulina and chlorella, with 30 serves for $59.95, or about $2.00 a serve.
• Ghost Greens: a fully disclosed label with 4.3 g of greens, 2.2 g of reds, 3 g of fibre and a 10 billion CFU probiotic blend per scoop, with 30 serves for $79.95, or about $2.67 a serve.

Our guide on whether greens powders work goes deeper, and our best greens powder guide compares more options.

Beetroot juice concentrate, for some athletes

Nitrate from beetroot juice is one of the few food-based supplements with solid sports research. The Australian Institute of Sport suggests about 6 to 8 mmol (roughly 350 to 500 mg) of nitrate 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and says a product needs a guaranteed minimum of 5 to 6 mmol to be effective. It also notes that juice concentrates have the best support and that few other products have had their nitrate content independently tested (AIS beetroot juice fact sheet).

The ones that usually are not worth it

• Goji, acai and other exotic fruit powders. Nice in a smoothie, but you are paying a lot for nutrients an orange or a punnet of frozen berries already gives you.
• Spirulina tablets as a protein source. NOW Organic Spirulina 500 mg gives 500 mg of spirulina per tablet for $29.95 a bottle of 100. Even if a tablet were pure protein, you would need 50 of them to match the 25 g in one scoop of whey. Buy it if you like spirulina, not for protein.
• "Leaf equivalent" claims. Moringa by Nature Best lists a 315 mg moringa leaf blend per 2 capsules, which the brand describes as equivalent to 6,000 mg of leaf because it includes a concentrated extract. At $24.95 for 30 serves it is a low-cost way to try moringa, but the bigger number is not what is in the capsule, so compare products on the real milligrams.
• Beetroot capsules for performance. NOW Sports Beetroot 1,100 mg ($49.95 for 180 capsules) is a simple beetroot powder, and our listing does not state a nitrate content. Do not expect it to match the juice concentrates the AIS describes.
• Premium versions of pantry foods. Raw cacao, pink salt and similar upgrades often cost more without giving you anything meaningful that the regular version does not.

Our verdict

Most of the superfoods worth buying sit in the supermarket: chia or linseed, tinned oily fish, oranges, capsicum, frozen berries, oats and beans. If your diet still falls short on vegetables, a fully labelled greens powder such as EHP Labs OxyGreens or Ghost Greens is a reasonable add-on. Skip anything sold on a vague "super" label or a big equivalent number, and judge every product on what is actually in a serve. Browse our superfoods and health food ranges with that in mind.

How our price compares

Here is what the same products cost at other Australian supplement stores, so you can check the difference yourself.

Supps247 prices come from our website. Other prices were checked on the websites of Nutrition Warehouse, Australian Sports Nutrition (ASN), Elite Supps and Supplement Mart on 29 October 2026 (same product and size, price for one unit) and can change at any time. Sale means it was on sale that day. Some flavours means that price was for some flavours only. Out of stock means it was listed but not available that day. Not listed means we could not find that exact product on their site. Supps247 members can use our Price Match Guarantee against Nutrition Warehouse, ASN, Elite Supps and Supplement Mart: we beat their full price by 5% or match their sale price (conditions apply).

Shop the products in this guide

EHP Labs OxyGreens Pineapple$59.95Ghost Greens Original$79.95Nature Best Moringa 60 Capsules$24.95NOW Organic Spirulina 500 mg 100 Tablets$29.95

Browse all greens supplements and health food.

FAQs

What is a superfood?

There is no official or scientific definition. It is a marketing term used for foods sold on a high amount of one nutrient or antioxidant. Australian dietitians point out that everyday fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, dairy and lean protein give you what you need when you eat a variety of them, usually for far less money than exotic powders.

Are greens powders worth the money?

They can be if you rarely eat vegetables and will use one every day, because a scoop adds some fibre and plant ingredients in a convenient drink. They do not replace vegetables. Choose one with a fully listed label, such as EHP Labs OxyGreens (2.6 g fibre per scoop) or Ghost Greens (3 g fibre per scoop), rather than vague proprietary blends.

Is chia better than linseed?

Both are good value. The Heart Foundation says 2 to 3 teaspoons of chia or flaxseed (linseed) gives about 1 g of plant omega-3 (ALA), its suggested daily amount, and both add fibre. Pick whichever you will actually eat and whichever is cheaper at your supermarket. Ground linseed is easier to mix into oats and smoothies.

Is spirulina a good source of protein?

Not in tablet form. Spirulina is often promoted for its protein, but a 500 mg tablet weighs only half a gram in total, so even if it were pure protein you would need 50 tablets to match one 25 g scoop of whey. If protein is your goal, a protein powder or food such as eggs, dairy, fish or legumes is far better value.

Does beetroot powder improve performance?

The research is on nitrate, mostly from beetroot juice concentrates. The AIS suggests about 6 to 8 mmol (roughly 350 to 500 mg) of nitrate 2 to 3 hours before exercise and says a product should guarantee at least 5 to 6 mmol. Most beetroot powders and capsules do not state their nitrate content, so you cannot be sure they reach that dose.

Sources: LiveLighter: Super food or super silly?; Heart Foundation: Omega-3, omega-6 and heart health; AIS Sports Supplement Framework: Beetroot juice (nitrate) fact sheet; product labels and brand nutrition panels, checked October 2026.

Order online with Australia-wide delivery, free on orders of $99.99 or more, with Afterpay available at checkout. You can also use click and collect at a store that offers it, or visit a Supps247 store in Melbourne, regional Victoria or Brisbane to compare products in person. Members can use our member price match on full-priced items.

Prices and stock were checked on 29 October 2026 and can change at any time. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, check with your doctor first.