We are constantly hearing that we should be eating greens. Yes we all know that vegetables are good for us but do you know why greens in particular are recommended?
Calorie for calorie, greens are probably the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals including A, C, K, E, folate, calcium, potassium, and iron as well as fiber and phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage. There aren’t many foods out there that will provide you with all of this! They even have a little omega 3 fatty acids!
Here is a list of few leafy greens you can stock up on. Try them in a salad, a wrap, or stir fried. Because most these vitamins are fat soluble your body will need a little dietary fat to help absorbs them. So, add a little olive oil to the stir-fry or flax-seed oil to your salad but avoid using butter which is loaded with saturated fat. You can also add them to soups or steam them.
- Arugula
- Collard Greens
- Dandelion Greens
- Kale
- Mustard Greens
- Romaine Lettuce
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
Body & Soul Coaching 
Definitely these great greens are loaded with good stuff and few calories. I hadn’t thought of the fact that most of those vitamins are fat soluble and the body will need a little dietary fat to help absorb them. I guess that’s why we use salad dressing, besides it tasting good. My fave is olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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I love to change up my oils, since I get tired of the same taste all the time! Have you tried flax-seed oil? It’s a wonderful nutty flavor.
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Hi Lisa! In the past few years, I’ve ‘discovered’ kale and now enjoy a kale salad with salmon, lemon topped with parm. Yummy & good for you!!!
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That’s great Liz. Be sure to check out all the other greens & the fat in the salmon will help you absorb those fat soluble vitamins!
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haven’t developed a liking for kale but spinach is my favorite. Hubby only likes asparagus but I mix some thers in.
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I absolutely LOVE kale. LOVE it. I keep using it in salads and soups; hubby hasn’t caught onto the kale craze just yet, but he’ll get there 😉
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Awesome! Try giving hubby some other options, I love kale myself but can get tired of it. If you change up which greens you’re eating you’ll get a variety of nutrients. Maybe he’d like some of the more mild tasting greens like swiss chard or bok choy. Keep trying!!
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Interesting to see how much value in some green leafy veggies. If only I could get my kids to eat some….
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You’d be surprised to learn what kids can learn to like! Try sneaking them into vegetable stir fries or mixing with sweet potatoes!
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I know, I know! I should eat more greens. I just have a hard time doing it. I blame Mom…;-)
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I will have to say that I am not a fan of leafy greens but do my best to sneak them in. I usually use spinach in my morning shakes. I have grown kale and tried it… but it really has a distinct taste and texture that I can’t do. Not a fan of those other ones either. Luckily I do have romaine in salads most nights, spinach in shakes every morning and take my Juice Plus that has 17 fruits and veggies every day.
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Leafy greens are essential to one’s body. Thanks for providing some suggested ideas of leafy greens.
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Fortunately I love all greens except green peppers which I really don’t count 😊
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I know they’re important and I do try. Thanks for sharing.
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