“I like my leafy greens," Sean Estes joked as he made his daily salad.

Forget fast food. Lunchtime for Sean and his wife Jill Estes is a healthy smorgasbord of superfoods!

“Spinach, arugula, lots of beans, if I can throw those in there, cause they add good protein and also good taste,” Sean says.

“I’m an avocado girl,” said Jill.  “I have one every day, with my lunch, whether I’m having salads or a sandwich.”

Feeling the Difference

They have the right idea and feel the difference.

“It’s going to keep you fuller longer through-out the day,” Jill says. “It gives you a lot more energy for everything that you’re doing.”

“I don’t feel tired or as run down as a lot of processed foods will make you feel,” added Sean.

Top Superfoods

Anti-aging expert Dr. Linda McClintock, president of Ageless Medicine in Tampa, says spinach tops the list of superfoods.

“Calcium, magnesium, iron; just a power packed food,” McClintock said.

McClintock says superfoods help keep you younger inside and looking great on the outside.

Broccoli is another super-food to fight disease and boost energy.

“It’s full of iron, calcium and good fiber,” she said. “Keep it around to snack on all day!”

Other favorites of hers include fish, especially salmon and scallops, nuts, sunflower seeds and olive oil.

Berries and The Brain

“All berries are good,” McClintock also said.

Blueberries, especially, are great for anti-aging and memory.

“It’s brain food, because it decreases the inflammation in our brain. It also helps the communication of neurons.”

Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, which is a great antioxidant.  Just one cup of strawberries meets the nutritional daily requirement for vitamin C.  Studies suggest they help to build and repair the body’s tissues, boost immunity, and fight excess free radical damage.

Avocados and The Arteries

Those avocados that Jill loves so much pack a lot of healthy goodness into the versatile fruit.

 “I know it has a lot of good fats, which are really important for your body processing,” Jill said slicing up her daily dose.

She’s absolutely right. Avocados are packed with healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.

“They’re the ones that are larger and we call HDL, High Density Lipoprotein. So they raise our HDL,” McClintock explained. “Those are the cholesterol that actually go and capture the triglycerides, the smaller particles, the LDL, and take it to the liver so that we can get rid of it out of our body. So, it’s actually like cleaning our arteries.”

Eggs-cellent for Energy

And forget the bad rap on eggs. Studies show that one egg a day does not change your cholesterol levels. At just 70 calories, a single, large egg is a low-cal, nutrient powerhouse.

One egg offers six grams of protein, which helps to sustain energy.

 “I don’t feel tired or as run down as a lot of processed food will make you feel sometimes,” Sean said.

Go Greek for Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a power food because it has twice the protein of regular yogurt and is packed with probiotics, but you have to be careful the brand you’re eating is not packed with carbohydrates.

 “Read the label to make sure it’s not packed with sugar,” McClintock suggested.

Mood Boosters

Asparagus is one of the best sources of foliate, which helps to synthesize your body’s mood enhancing chemicals.

And Walnuts are packed with tryptophan, an amino acid our body needs to produce the feel-good chemical serotonin. Just a handful can provide a mood boost, as well as a nice dose of Omega 3 fatty acids.

Needed Grains

Quinoa is one of the only grains or seeds that provide all nine essential amino acids our bodies can't produce. And it's filled with protein, eight grams per one-cup serving.

Toast to Red Wine

And red wine is yet another superfood.  It’s made with the dark skin and seeds of grapes, which are rich in polyphenols.  It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Eat Healthy/Save Money

One extra benefit the Estes get by shopping for healthy foods and making their own healthy lunches every day: They save money.

“You buy food for the week, so I’m spending about the same amount of money I would if we went out to a restaurant and had just one or two meals a week,” Sean said.

So try taking a little extra time to pack a lunch full of power foods. You can boost your energy and memory and save calories and money, all at the same time.