Blue corn

The news: Sweet, flavorful blue corn is a staple in the Southwest, but for many of us it’s still waiting to be discovered (apart from blue-corn tortilla chips) .

Feel-good factors: Blue-corn tortillas have 20 percent more protein than white-corn ones, and often have more zinc and iron too. The corn’s blue anthocyanin is an antioxidant.

Ways to try it: Mix a 50-50 ratio of blue-corn flour and all-purpose flour in pancakes; try the cornmeal in muffins. Use the tortillas for tacos or huevos rancheros.