You hear a lot about greens, why is that? So many reasons, but to start, leafy greens are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, prebiotics, and protective phytochemicals. As excellent sources of folic acid, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, and fiber, greens are arguably the most nutrient dense family of vegetables, especially cooked, when they are denser in volume than raw. Green leafy vegetables have been linked with a lower incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease - cerebral infarction, heart disease, and stroke. And, these veggies may help boost brain health. What greens are we talking about? Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collards, bok choy, cabbage, dandelion, mustard, turnip greens, microgreens, and more.
Which green is best? They’re generally all fantastic and offer different benefits. Thinking liver, opt for bitter! Greens such as arugula, radicchio, kale, dandelion, spinach, chicory and mustard leaves are wonderful liver toners. Bitter greens are packed with fiber and essential vitamins that your liver needs to detoxify your body and cycle out waste. They will help to increase the creation and flow of bile, the substance that removes waste from the organs and blood. These bitter greens will also assist you in digesting your food, so it’s best to consume them at the start of your meal.
Collards are particularly rich in vitamin K and calcium, both important for bone health. One study even observed that eating one or more servings of collard greens weekly was associated with a 57% decreased risk of developing glaucoma.
Spinach is an excellent source of folate and iron. Despite the fact that spinach contains a considerable amount of calcium, due to its high oxalate content, you only absorb ~1% of the calcium in spinach, so please don’t rely on spinach for calcium.
Crucifers? The entire category is important: arugula; broccoli, including Chinese broccoli, broccolini, broccoli rabe and broccoli sprouts; Brussels sprouts; all cabbages; cauliflower; collard greens; horseradish; all varieties of kale; kohlrabi; mustard seed; mustard greens; radishes, including daikon and radish sprouts; rutabaga; tatsoi greens; turnips; turnip greens; wasabi; watercress. These vegetables have favorable effects on hormone metabolism. Studies report particular benefits for those with hormone-sensitive cancers, including breast and prostate. Ferment the cabbage into sauerkraut to add to the benefits to your gut microbiome. Arugula is one of the best sources of naturally occurring nitrates, which may help reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow.
Beet greens are potent sources of beta-carotene and lutein, which may reduce the risk of eye disorders, such as macular degeneration and cataract. They too are rich in oxalates, so not a great source of calcium.
Swiss chard also contains a unique flavonoid called syringic acid — a compound that may be beneficial for lowering blood sugar levels.
High in vitamin K, endive also contains kaempferol, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce inflammation and have anti-cancer effects.
One study found that including romaine lettuce in a meal resulted in a significantly lower glucose and insulin response compared to the control and watercress.
Aim to eat leafy greens daily, yes, EVERYDAY – you may choose to eat them sauteéd, raw, added to a green smoothie, made into a vegetable juice, dehydrated as ‘chips’, or as a greens powder on the go. Greens powders, which are made of dried, powdered, preferably organic vegetables, are a convenient way to eat more vegetables, but they are not a replacement for vegetables and do not provide the fiber that whole vegetables do.
Here are some other tasty ways to add greens to your diet:
sauté them with avocado oil along with herbs, spices, or minced garlic
chop them and add them to scrambled eggs
pulse them with toasted nuts, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic, and salt to make pesto
toss a few leaves with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of salt
add chopped leaves to homemade chili or stew
chop and mix them into a pot of brown rice with red pepper flakes and paprika
blend them with herbs like parsley and cilantro, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice to make salad dressing
add a few handfuls of greens to a smoothie
make a green juice and add celery and ginger
roast, dehydrate, or air fry leaves with a spritz of olive oil and sea salt for a healthy ‘chip’
*A portion of text was excerpted from The Feminine Feast, by Maria Cianci and Natalie Ledesma
Basic Greens
Recipe adapted from the Institute of Functional Medicine
Ingredients:
1 large bunch of kale, collards, or bok choy, washed
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or cut into slivers
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
½ cup veggie or chicken broth
Directions:
Cut out the tough center stem from the kale or collards; chop or slice into small pieces. Bok choy has no tough center so just chop into small pieces.
Sauté garlic in olive or coconut oil for about 30 seconds over medium heat. Add chopped greens and sauté for about 3-4 minutes.
Bok choy needs no further cooking. For kale or collards, add broth, cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Variation: For seasoned greens, add small amounts of any of the following alone or in combination: dry chipotle pepper, balsamic vinegar, ground cumin or curry powder.
Spinach & Artichoke Spread
A healthy low-fat, high-fiber vegetable dip that tastes great too!
Ingredients:
5 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed & stemmed* (about 4 cups lightly packed leaves)
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
15-ounce can white kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup scallions, chopped
2-4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to taste
15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained & minced
Sea salt & ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Steam spinach for 2-3 minutes. Drain well.
In a food processor, puree the spinach, garlic, beans, scallions, basil, olive oil, & 2 tbsp of the lemon juice until very smooth.
Fold in the minced artichoke & add more lemon juice, salt, & pepper to taste.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Makes about 3 cups or 12 ¼-cup servings.
* You can substitute 5-oz. package frozen spinach (thawed & drained) for the fresh.
Cabbage Salad
Ingredients:
8 cups shredded napa cabbage
1 cup of edamame, unfrozen (frozen blanched edamame)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 bunch of red radishes, thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup of sliced almonds (lightly toasted)
¼ sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Spritz of avocado oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: Sriracha or other hot sauce
Directions:
Toast the almonds.
In a large bowl combine cabbage, edamame, carrots, scallions, radishes, half of the almonds and sunflower seeds and cilantro.
For the dressing, combine rice vinegar, tamari, ginger, garlic and pepper.
Add dressing to coat. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds and cilantro.
Feel energized, clean, and rejuvenated - eat up your greens! I will as well.
Warm regards,
Natalie