Because low carbon footprints are super too.

Lists of superfoods kind of make my eyes roll. Why TF does every smoothie have acai in it? Why am I eating bee pollen from Illinois? Why?

I think we stand a better chance at healthfulness when the foods we rely on to keep us healthy don’t require a boat or an airplane to reach us. The current model is expensive, not great for the environment, and distances us from our local flora and fauna. So, here’s a new list of local superfoods: They do the same work as their coveted exotic counterparts, they’re relatively easy to pronounce, and they won’t break the bank.

The superfood: Acai

The swap: Blueberries

You’re probably eating acai because you’re into antioxidants. Guess what? Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of any commonly consumed fruit. Until 1916, you could only find blueberries in the wild—none of this year-round hoopla. Today, we distinguish blueberries in two ways: highbush and lowbush. The lowbush blueberries are the wild ones and are highest in antioxidants, specifically the flavonoid anthocyanin. So stop eating so much frozen acai from 3,000 miles away, and start eating blueberries from up to 90 miles away instead. If you’re on the East Coast, Wyman’s of Maine frozen wild blueberries can be found in almost every supermarket.

The superfood: Wheatgrass

The swap: Chickweed

Skip the line for wheatgrass shots at your local juice bar and get to know chickweed. Chickweed’s botanical name is Stellaria media, roughly translating to “between the stars.” It’s a whimsical plant that spreads across the ground like a blanket made from space. Chickweed’s bioavailability is through the roof: It’s easy for us to digest, and our bodies absorb its nutrients with little effort. That’s because it has a soap-like quality: the chemicals in it get foamy in water (and in your gut). Sounds gross, but it’s a good thing. While ushering the good stuff in, chickweed flushes the bad stuff out. Allow me to get philosophical: The more chickweed we eat, the more we wash away the stuff that holds us back, the stronger and braver we become. In case you missed the connection, allow me to be a super nerd: Chickweed can help you reach for the stars. Ask around at your local farmers’ market. You’ll probably find someone who’ll give you this “weed” for free.

The superfood: Spirulina

The swap: Nettles

If you’re putting spirulina in your smoothies, you can stop, because nettles have virtually the same amount of chlorophyll, plus they’re cheaper. Nettle also works on our bodies both internally and externally. When you’re “stung” by the formic acid on nettles’ little hairs, blood rushes to that spot to ease the inflammation. Internally, it acts as a tonic. Taken over time, nettle will strengthen your circulatory, immune, and endocrine systems to promote peak function. The stronger these systems, the better position our bodies are in to deal with whatever might come our way. This is a popular spring addition at greenmarkets in the Northeast.