Leafy greens include many varieties and they give us quality nutrition so be sure to eat them often and all year long.
There are fields of green, leafy vegetables poking up their heads in early spring. Are they growing in your home garden? Look for them at your local Farmer’s Market or your favorite grocery store and learn about the varieties of these beautiful, nutritious and delicious leafy veggies. Eat them often. Enjoy them with breakfast, lunch, dinner. And, take a close look at their prices which are some of the cheapest in the fresh produce universe.
The Quality of Nutrition in Spring, Leafy Greens
There is a lot to love about leafy greens. Some of their most positive nutrition includes these and remember that each variety has a unique nutritional composition:
- fiber
- water
- B vitamins, including folic acid
- vitamin A
- vitamin C
- vitamin K
- potassium
- calcium
- iron
This article compares the nutrients of a variety of salad greens and this article describes many leafy greens that are eaten sauteed or slow-cooked to make tender.
10 Ways to Eat More Leafy Green Vegetables
- At breakfast, add a shredded cabbage salad to your plate
- At breakfast, add spinach or arugula to your scrambled eggs or omelet
- At breakfast, eat a whole grain bowl that includes baby kale
- At lunch, add Romaine lettuce to your sandwich
- At lunch, add a mixed greens salad to the side of your chili or soup
- At lunch, whip up a ‘meal size salad’ and use shredded cabbage, spinach, and Romaine lettuce
- At dinner, cook and eat sauteed Swiss chard or kale with garlic and extra virgin olive oil
- At dinner, cook up and enjoy a bean soup with dandelion greens added to it
- At dinner, slow cook a pot of collard greens with onion, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil as a side
- At any meal, load a baked white or sweet potato with sauteed kale or Swiss chard, shredded cheese, and pumpkin seeds
Create New Ways to Enjoy Leafy Greens
There’s no limit to the ways we can enjoy leafy greens. Create your own ideas and keep these nutrition superheros on your plate all year long. Mediterranean nutrition features plant foods as a solid foundation of every day nutrition and leafy greens play an important role. For a taste of delicious and nutritious Mediterranean Menus, grab this free collection. It will send you down the road to more flavor, higher quality nutrition, and better health!