7 easy foods for healthy glowing skin
Written By Jenny Wu on
Most of us have a general idea of what healthy foods we should eat if we want glowing skin. But not all of those foods taste great, and not all of them are quick or easy to make.
For those that are juggling multiple responsibilities and barely have time for themselves (you go through dry shampoos quicker than actual shampoos), these simple and quick foods are not only great for your body, but will give you healthy glowing skin too!
Nutrients we need for healthy skin
Before diving into the healthy foods, let’s find out which nutrients specifically offer skin health benefits:
- Healthy Fats – Fatty acids are an essential component of our skin, and can be heavily influenced by our diet. If we don’t get enough healthy fats, our skin can get dry and wrinkled.1
- Protein – It’s broken down into amino acids into our body, which can then be used to create the proteins our body needs2. Collagen, one of the most talked about component of our skin, is one of these proteins!
- Vitamin A – We know it as retinol in topical skincare but it’s also an essential vitamin for our overall health. Too little and you’ll start noticing rough dry skin3.
- Vitamin C – A powerful antioxidant that’s just as important applied topically as it is to ingest orally. It’s also crucial in the collagen building process, so if you want firm bouncy skin, vitamin c is a must4.
- Vitamin E – Less talked about than A or C, but an equally important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient. When taken together with vitamin C, it can help protect the skin against UV damage5.
- Flavonoids – These are antioxidant compounds found in fruits and plants. While the specific function may differ when taken orally, they’re still extremely beneficial to our overall and skin health6.
- Fiber – There’s no arguing that fiber is great for our digestive system and helps feed the healthy bacteria in our gut. But there’s been increasing studies on the gut-skin connection, that a healthy gut microbiome is correlated with improvements in skin conditions like acne and psoriasis7.
7 simple foods for healthy skin
Frozen Blueberries
Glycemic Index: 53
Rich in: Vitamin C, anthocyanin (a flavonoid)
Relatively low in sugar but rich in polyphenols and vitamin c, blueberries are one of my favorite fruits to have on hand. I prefer frozen blueberries since they're picked at their peak ripeness for maximum nutrient levels, and flash frozen to preserve those nutrients (8). They're also more affordable than "fresh" blueberries in grocery stores, which are often soft and shriveled!
My favorite ways to eat frozen blueberries is thawed directly, on top of yogurts, or mixed with other ingredients for a glowing skin smoothie! They also make an excellent snack alternative when you're craving something sweet!
Dried Goji Berries
Glycemic Index: 29
Rich in: Vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, and protein
One of my favorite dried fruits to snack on thanks to its lower sugar content and rich nutrient levels. It's also commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to support and nourish the liver, which in turn can lead to brighter, glowing skin (9). Whether or not you believe in TCM, the nutrients found in goji berries are definitely beneficial for our skin health.
Asides from eating it as a snack, I also love using it in tea along with dried jujube + dried rose buds. It's also delicious in Chinese soups, or sprinkled on top of oatmeal or yogurts!
Kale Prewashed Salad
Glycemic Index: 2-4
Rich in: Vitamins a, vitamin c, vitamin b, flavonoids, fiber, and minerals
Who else hates washing and chopping up veggies? I know I do, so if I can get the superfood prewashed in a bag, you bet I'll take that over the whole vegetable. Obviously you can eat it as a salad, but I prefer to add mine directly to smoothies, which can help mask some of the bitter flavor.
Another quick and easy way to enjoy kale? Bake kale chips! Just coat them with a light layer of avocado oil (get some of that healthy fat), toss them in the air fryer, and lightly season with salt when done. This is a great option if you prefer salty snacks!
Unsweetened Nut Butter
Glycemic Index: 0 - 14
Rich in: Healthy fats, vitamin e, some protein, and trace minerals
While I like eating almonds as a snack, almond butter is much more versatile and just as yummy in my opinion. If you don't like almond, classic peanut butter has a similar nutrition profile, just make sure what you buy contains no additives like vegetables oils, trans fat, or sugar.
In addition to spreading them on toast, they're also excellent in oatmeal (regular or overnight), on yogurt, or added to smoothies. My husband just eats peanut butter by itself as a snack!
Avocados
Glycemic Index: 15
Rich in: Healthy fats, fiber, vitamin c, and vitamin e
Confession: I hated avocados until my early 20's, and even now I can't stomach the taste of them unseasoned. But I can't deny that they're a nutrient rich food that's also ridiculously versatile and easy to prep.
My favorite ways to eat them are to add them to toast or smoothies for that extra creaminess. If you're too busy to deal with cutting and scooping out the raw fruit, Costco sells a lightly pre-seasoned avocado mash that's preservative free and individually portioned. I keep these in my fridge to use as dip or spread!
Green Tea or Matcha
Glycemic Index: 0
Rich in: Flavonoids (Catechin EGCg) and L-theanine
This is an obvious one, but green tea and matcha might be one of the best drinks for not just our skin, but overall health. It's also one of the few foods that was tested to show noticeable improvement in UV protection and skin health when taken regularly (10)!
If you're not a big tea drinker, I recommend starting with a fruit-flavored green tea, eventually working your way to matcha which has a more bitter acquired taste. My favorite way is to add some coconut butter to the matcha to balance the flavors and create a healthy and energizing matcha latte!
Barley Grass Powder
Glycemic Index: 0
Rich in: Fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and flavonoids
If you're like me and have been told by your doctor to avoid caffeine, barley grass powder is a great caffeine-free alternative to green tea/matcha. While the flavonoids in barley grass haven't been studied for their skin benefits, the added fiber (3g per tbsp!) is a nice addition (11).
It has a slightly milder flavor so you can drink it the same way you would matcha or add it to a smoothie. I think it tastes best mixed with milk (dairy or plant)!
My personal picks
All the above items can be found in your local grocery store, on Amazon, or iHerb, and you can’t go wrong with any reputable brands. For those who are curious, here’s what I personally have in my kitchen:
A balanced diet is key
While the above foods are quick and easy to incorportate into our diet, they’re definitely not the only options. Enjoying a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and quality protein is essential to our overall wellbeing. It’s not always easy though, so hopefully these 7 options make getting to that balanced diet a little easier.
As with any food or supplements, it never hurts to discuss dietary changes with your doctor, especially if you’re taking medications. For example the vitamin K in barley grass powder can intefere with blood thinners while goji berries can interact with diabetics medication12.
Hope you found this article helpful, and let me know which easy foods you regularly incorporate into your diet!
Article Sources
To keep my content accurate and trustworthy, I rely on peer-reviewed studies, articles from reputable academic institutions, and quotes from certified healthcare professionals to back my claims.
“Essential Fatty Acids and Skin Health.” Linus Pauling Institute, 7 Nov. 2016, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/essential-fatty-acids.
Noguchi, Ayako, and David Djerassi. “Amino Acids and Peptides: Building Blocks for Skin Proteins.” Nutritional Cosmetics, 2009, pp. 287–317, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-8155-2029-0.50022-3.
Jacques, Jacqueline. NLOSS North London Obesity Surgery Service about Vitamin a and Vitamin a Deficiency What Does Vitamin a Do? 2010, www.whittington.nhs.uk/document.ashx?id=1958.
“Vitamin c and Skin Health.” Linus Pauling Institute, 7 Nov. 2016, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-C.
“Vitamin E and Skin Health.” Linus Pauling Institute, 7 Nov. 2016, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E.
“Flavonoids and Skin Health.” Linus Pauling Institute, 7 Nov. 2016, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/flavonoids.
Salem, Iman, et al. “The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis.” Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 9, July 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01459.
Bouzari, Ali, et al. “Mineral, Fiber, and Total Phenolic Retention in Eight Fruits and Vegetables: A Comparison of Refrigerated and Frozen Storage.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 63, no. 3, Jan. 2015, pp. 951–56, https://doi.org/10.1021/jf504890k.
Bucheli, Peter, et al. “Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects of Chinese Wolfberry.” Nih.gov, CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92756/.
Heinrich, Ulrike, et al. “Green Tea Polyphenols Provide Photoprotection, Increase Microcirculation, and Modulate Skin Properties of Women.” The Journal of Nutrition, vol. 141, no. 6, Apr. 2011, pp. 1202–8, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.110.136465.
Zeng, Yawen, et al. “Preventive and Therapeutic Role of Functional Ingredients of Barley Grass for Chronic Diseases in Human Beings.” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2018, 2018, pp. 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/3232080.
DiNicolantonio, James J., et al. “The Health Benefits of Vitamin K.” Open Heart, vol. 2, no. 1, Oct. 2015, p. e000300, https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2015-000300.
Passionate about science-based skincare. Tested hundreds if not thousands of products since my 20's. Working regularly with brands like iHerb, Ulta, CurrentBody, and MedStar Health to share my knowledge and experience in all things beauty. Learn more.
Skin profile: 35+, dry/combination, focused on well-aging, hydration, and a healthy glow ✨
Comments & Questions
Lisa Autumn
I eat so many of these every day! Thank you for the roundup x
x Lisa I lisaautumn.com
Anne
Blueberries in my oat meal are definitely one of my favoorite ways to add some extra healthy toppings, but in general I just strive for a healthy and balanced way of eating. Going without caffeine would be really hard for me though, sorry you were told you had to avoid it.
Anne from Doctor Anne
Tia
Matcha is easy for me to say yes to. So, good.
BecomingTia | www.becomingtia.com
Jill
May I ask why you were told to avoid caffeine? I drink tons of coffee but worry about negative downstream heal effects. Would you recommend
cutting down/eliminating caffeine for better skin and overall health?
Thank you - I just discovered your website. It is a life changer!!!!
Jill
Jenny Wu
Thank you so much for the kind words Jill! I have endometriosis, and there's been some studies shown that caffeine can increase estrogen levels, which can exacerbate endo. But there are also a lot of studies on the benefits of caffeine, so I wouldn't be too worried unless you have estrogen dominance. But as always you can check with your doctor if you have concerns!