As the saying goes: you are what you eat. You can slather on all the $300 Barbara Sturm serums you want, but if you don't treat your body right from the inside, it's not realistic to expect your outside to be fine and dandy. 

There are plenty (my list features 30+) of unprocessed foods out there that are both delicious and a million times more beneficial to not only your skin, but your overall health. Cutting out added sugars, chemicals, preservatives, meat, and dairy from your diet, even in moderation can make all the difference for your skin and your dwindling existence on this giant, floating space rock we call Earth. But we're all for baby steps, people... I'm proud of your baby steps!

Here's my extensive list of foods to try and what good tidings they shall bring to you:

BLUEBERRIES

Benefits: Increase blood circulation, protect skin from free radicals, help prevent skin cancer, boost collagen production, contain salicylates (think salicylic acid) that fight off acne, and facilitate hair growth.

Taste: Sweet, kinda sour.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, smoothies, muffins, jams/compotes, pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, and pies.

CACAO

Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, increases blood circulation, helps skin ward off UV rays, anti-aging, and aids dental health.

Taste: It's rich and bitter unless sweetened, but once you add sweetener it tastes like the kind of chocolate that oozes out of molten lava cake.

What It's Best For: Hot chocolate, chocolate milk, all kinds of baking, smoothies, chia pudding, and overnight oats.

TURMERIC

Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, helps to calm eczema and rosacea, brightening, and helps whiten teeth.

Taste: Herbal, earthy, and with a zing similar to ginger.

What It's Best For: (Okay you realistically can put this in everything but) Tea, lattes, smoothies, roasted/sautéed veggies, stews, marinades, salad dressings and as a natural food coloring agent.

RED DATES

Benefits: Skin brightness, improving insomnia, increasing blood circulation, boosting immune system, improving skin elasticity, and anti-inflammatory.

Taste: Sweet and earthy.

What It's Best For: Eating dried, teas, soups/stews, baking, jams, and raw bars.

GREEN TEA

Benefits: Fights free radicals, anti-bacterial, anti-aging, improves skin tone, decreases sebum production, and anti-inflammatory. 

Taste: Bitter, herbal, rich, bold, and earthy.

What It's Best For: Tea (roasted leaves or ground into matcha powder), lattes, smoothies, and baking.

RASPBERRIES

Benefits: Skin firming, brightening, texture smoothing, wrinkle prevention, and reduces age spots along with discoloration.

Taste: Sweet and sour.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, smoothies, oatmeal, tarts, chia pudding, cakes, and jams/compotes.

MACA

Benefits: Promotes hormone balance, boosts immune system, anti-aging, protects from UV rays, regulates collagen production, and fights hyperpigmentation.

Taste: Earthy and nutty.

What It's Best For: Smoothies and baking.

MUSHROOMS

Benefits: Anti-aging, contain polysaccharides that provide hydration, treats acne, brightening, anti-inflammatory, and combat hair loss.

Taste: Earthy and meaty.

What It's Best For: Sautéing, roasting, stews/soups, meat replacement, pizzas/flatbreads, and quinoa/rice bowls.

SEAWEED

Benefits: Fortifying your skin's hydration barriers, anti-inflammatory, fights hyperpigmentation and rosacea, exfoliates and detoxes, brightening, and promotes collagen production.

Taste: Salty and kinda fishy.

What It's Best For: Roasted nori, salads, soups/stews, rice bowls, wraps, and sushi.

PLANT-BASED MILKS

Cow's milk and other non-fermented dairy products can cause acne and accelerate inflammation. It's also best for women to not consume large amounts of soy due to increases in estrogen levels and hormone imbalance. Almond milk has been known to be not-so-sustainable in its production and having too many nuts in your diet can actually increase levels of inflammation due to high amounts of Omega-6 in your system. 

Recommendations: Oat milk (coffee, baking, cereal), coconut milk (cooking, baking), hemp milk (smoothies, cereal), rice milk (cereal, coffee, cooking), and macadamia milk (coffee, smoothies, cooking, baking).

Benefits: Increased hydration, anti-inflammatory, aid in flushing out toxins, retain skin elasticity, anti-aging, anti-bacterial, promote skin cell renewal, neutralize free radicals, skin firming, and help lighten dark spots. 

AVOCADO

Benefits: Nourish and moisturize, boost immunity against environmental stressors, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improves psoriasis, and helps prevent acne.

Taste: Creamy and clean.

What It's Best For: Eating with lime juice or olive oil, guacamole, salads, toasts, wraps/sandwiches, quinoa/rice bowls, smoothies, and oils for cooking.

HONEY

Benefits: Anti-aging, glowing complexion, acne prevention, anti-bacterial, brightness, and moisturizing.

Taste: Sweet as can be.

What It's Best For: Sugar replacement in drinks and cooking/baking. 

CHIA SEEDS

Benefits: Hydration boosting, redness reduction, wrinkle prevention, anti-inflammatory, and increase blood circulation.

Taste: None honestly.

What It's Best For: Smoothies, toasts, granola, oatmeal, puddings, and as a replacement for eggs in baking.

GINSENG

(I'm sorry if this image looks like a pile of Freddy Krueger hands and causes you to have nightmares tonight.)

Benefits: Packed with phytonutrients for anti-aging, improves skin tone, brightening, aids hydration retention, anti-inflammatory, and balances oil production.

Taste: Bitter and earthy.

What It's Best For: Supplements, teas, and soups/stews.

TOMATOES

Benefits: Fight cellular damage, brightening, improve skin texture, anti-inflammatory, treat acne and large pores, and aid sun damage.

Taste: Watery and either smoky or sweet.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, salads, sautéing, roasting, soups/stews, and sauces.

PAPAYA

Benefits: Treats eczema and psoriasis, reduces dark spots, wrinkle prevention, fights hyperpigmentation, detoxing, and hydrating.

Taste: Sweet and nutty.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, smoothies, milkshakes, salads, stir fry, roasting, baking, and stews.

MISO

Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-aging, and promotes healthy digestion.

Taste: Salty and savory.

What It's Best For: Soups/stews, marinades, and salad dressings.

SWEET POTATOES

Benefits: Rich in carotenoids that promote glowing skin, stimulate collagen production, brightening, anti-aging, and fight off free radicals. 

Taste: Sweet, nutty, and earthy.

What It's Best For: Roasting, mashing, purées, fries, pies, chips, stews, and quinoa/rice bowls.

CINNAMON

Benefits: Anti-bacterial, reduces redness, restores moisture, helps fade acne scars and dark marks, and stimulates collagen production.

Taste: Sweet, warm, and spicy.

What It's Best For: Cooking, baking, and beverages.

QUINOA

Benefits: Improves skin elasticity, reduces sebum production, smooths skin texture, anti-aging, and brightening.

Taste: Earthy and toasty.

What It's Best For: As a supplement for grains, bowls, salads, and breakfast.

SPINACH AND KALE

Benefits: Detoxifying, skin texture improvement, anti-aging, collagen boosting, acne prevention, brightening, improves blood circulation, skin firming, increases cell turnover, and tightens pores.

Taste: Herbal, earthy, and bitter.

What It's Best For: Salads, chips, quinoa/rice bowls, sandwiches/wraps, and smoothies.

GINGER

Benefits: Anti-aging, prevents free radical damage, improves skin tone, boosts skin elasticity, anti-septic, and brightening.

Taste: Herbal, earthy, and zingy. 

What It's Best For: Tea, smoothies, stir fry, roasted/sautéed veggies, soups, marinades, and salad dressings.

BELL PEPPERS

Benefits: Boost circulation, brightening, anti-aging, counteract environmental stressors, and aids collagen production.

Taste: Can be sweeter or more bitter.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, sautéing, roasting, stir fry, salads, sandwiches/wraps, sauces and grilling.

CUCUMBER

Benefits: Super hydrating, calming, brightening, anti-inflammatory, and improves skin tone and texture.

Taste: Fresh, nearly sweet, and watery.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, juices/smoothies, added to water, salads, and pickling.

PINEAPPLE

Benefits: Brightening, improving skin tone, acne prevention, helping sun damage, anti-inflammatory, and teeth whitening.

Taste: Sweet and zingy.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, juices/smoothies, salads, baking, and cooking.

BEETS

Benefits: Anti-aging, stimulate cell production and repair, brightening, hydrating, anti-microbial, wrinkle prevention, and skin firming.

Taste: Earthy, slightly bitter, and slightly sweet.

What It's Best For: Eating raw, roasting, pickling, salads, lattes, and as a natural food coloring agent.

GOJI BERRIES

Benefits: Firming, protect from environmental stressors, reduce the appearance of age spots, improves discoloration, anti-aging, and brightening.

Taste: Sweet and a little bit sour.

What It's Best For: Dried, smoothie bowls, trail mix, teas, oatmeal, cereal, granola, and raw bars.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Benefits: Moisture retention, fighting free radicals, anti-aging, promoting skin renewal, boosting collagen production, and anti-inflammatory.

Taste: Nutty and toasty.

What It's Best For: Eating raw or toasted, trail mix, granola, bars, baking, overnight oats, oatmeal, smoothie bowls, and toasts.

Let me know in the comments or on Instagram what some of your favorite beauty foods are!