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Go Green or Go Home!
Posted on 12th Nov 2015
Go green or go home – top leafy greens for over-all better health.
Face it, greens are good for you. They are packed with a variety of minerals, vitamins, promoting beneficial compounds and are high in fiber and low in calories. So, if you truly want overall better health I would suggest you begin incorporating them into as many daily meals as possible.
The USDA suggests between 2 and 3 cups of green leafy vegetables daily so don’t worry, you can't overdo green.
Let’s get out our shopping list and add a few of our favorites!
Red and green leaf lettuce is a great start. Research has shown the darker the lettuce the more nutrients it contains. Red lettuce is a tad more nutrient-dense than the green lettuce but both are packed with vitamin K, A and folate.
To keep temptation down from fast-food joints prepare individual, chopped lettuce in containers that you can grab and go as your week gets busier. Buy a salad mixer that comes with a little salad dressing cup to make it extra, extra easy. Think of the good vitamins you’ll be adding to your diet and the calories that you won’t.
Collard greens have been proven to lower cholesterol by binding bile acid from the digestive tract which makes it easier for cholesterol to exit the body. Plus, they are rich in minerals and vitamins like A, C and K.
If you boil the greens first for 10 to 15 minutes and then wash thoroughly you will find they aren’t quite as bitter. Or try simmering collards in a pan of sautéed onion, olive oil and seasonings. When the greens begin to wilt add a cup of vegetable broth or a tablespoon of vinegar. Cover and simmer about an hour.
Let’s hear it for the sprouts or microgreens. Every plant-based food starts with a sprout and grows from there. Research for these mild, edible foods shows that they contain a high level of carotenoids and vitamins than their more mature self. Sprouts are packed with both vitamin A, C and beta-carotene.
To get all the nutrients it’s best to eat sprouts as close to harvest as possible. There are several different varieties of containers to grow sprouts in your home. Most grocery stores carry alfalfa sprouts or you can shop organic markets for a larger selection.
Spinach is a great source of iron, vitamin C and vitamin K which is import for strengthening bone mass. It is low in calories and high in nutrients
Baby spinach can be a great way to start your day, either in a smoothie or scrambled with an egg.
Kale is a leafy green vegetable that appears on many superfood lists and for with good reason. Kale is highly nutritious, containing high levels of minerals, vitamins, and brain-boosting phytonutrients.
Next time you whip up a pizza top it off with slightly cooked kale.
As you head to the grocery store and think about the calories you are going to cut, the cholesterol you are going to lower or the vitamins and nutrients you are going to add by bringing home the greens don’t forget to shop Meditrend to balance and maintain all your vitamin and mineral daily requirements.
