From rejuvenating eye serums to “vampire facials” that break the bank, the pursuit for a youthful appearance has never been greater. But despite splashing out on all the latest fads to have been endorsed by your favourite TV personality, most of us are missing out on the easiest, inexpensive and frankly, LOGICAL solution – our diet.

To help you out, we’ve put together our top eight “youth foods” along with our favourite recipes to help you fight the visual appearance of ageing.

1)    Avocado

Not only is avocado an anti-wrinkle saviour, it’s also our favourite health food! Packed with oils that strengthen skin cells, avocado makes skin more resilient to sun exposure and weather.

It’s hard to pick just the one recipe so we left you a few to choose from courtesy of www.avocadoadaynutrition.com and www.loveandlemons.com

Avocado on toast with caramelised onions and tomatoes

Sweet Potato and avocado tartare

2)    Berries

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries…. They’re all full of goodness that help the body produce collagen which is essential for that smooth, firm and bouncy skin we had in our teen years!

3)    Yoghurt

Young skin in a pot. Yoghurt is full of vitamin B which is essential for cell growth and division – a process that naturally begins to slow as you age resulting in duller, wrinkled skin.

We decided to incorporate berries and yoghurt in our next recipe for an extra youthful punch to kickstart your mornings:

Greek Yoghurt & Berry Medley Smoothie

4)    Salmon

Don’t just settle for looking younger, FEEL younger too by adding oil-rich fishes into your diet such as salmon. The Omega-3 fatty acids work wonders at maintaining memory and brain function and also acts as an anti-inflammatory.

For this one we’re heading over to Betty Crocker for a super tasty

Soy & Honey Wild Salmon Tray Bake 

5)    Broccoli

Your body’s best line of defence against those pesky toxins that build up – leading to dull complexions and low moods.

We love pairing it up with salmon for an extra youth boost but we’ve also included another great recipe by Tori Avey

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

6)    Walnuts

Prone to skin conditions such as eczema, dry skin and rashes? Why ‘nut’ try walnuts? A natural anti-inflammatory, walnuts are noted for their ability to help relieve inflamed skin conditions and are even said to be able to ease the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis!

Enjoy straight out of the bag or, if you have a sweet tooth, try this wonderful recipe by Paleo Hacks:

Maple Roasted Walnuts 

7)    Cayenne, Ginger, Cinnamon & Turmeric

The fat-fighters. One of the most dreaded aspects of ageing is the unsightly extra pounds we gain as our metabolism slows – gone are the days when we could order an extra-large pizza with our friends and not see it firmly set on our mid-drift the next day. So add some spice to your cooking and help burn those excess pounds.

Here are the ‘hottest’ recipes we found:

Pan-Seared Salmon in Cayenne seasoning

Thai Carrot Soup 

8)    Dark Chocolate

You see, it’s always worth reading to the end of an article – chances are we always save the best till last. Containing resveratrol and flavanols, dark chocolate has been proven to aid the turnover of waste products, reducing blood pressure and even help reduce the risks of age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s – owing to the resveratrol’s unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and protect the brain and nervous system.

We figured you didn’t need a recipe to fit this one into your diet – best enjoyed straight from the packet and NOT shared!