Green Leafy Goodness
It is no secret that dark green leafy vegetables are highly nutritious and should be included in your diet several times per week. Not only are they fantastic sources of vitamins and minerals, but they also contain phytochemicals, or plant-based nutrients, that have anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, dark green leafies are very low in calories, high in fiber, and have no fat, making them ideal for weight management as well. Knowing all of these benefits, along with the goal of increasing daily non-starchy vegetable consumption, why does it seem that spinach gets most of the attention?
While spinach is a fantastic choice and can be eaten raw, wilted, sautéed, steamed, etc., there are many more options available that might seem unfamiliar and thus, are avoided. Experimenting with them, however, is easy and can be fun, as well as add more variety to your green leafy intake. You can find various options year-round at the supermarket, and seasonally at local farmers markets. Try kale, mustard greens, mesclun, turnip greens, arugula, collard greens, escarole, swiss chard, rainbow chard, watercress, or bok choy.
In general, the softer, more tender greens, such as mesclun, baby spinach, escarole, arugula, or bok choy are ideal raw in salads and/or wilted as a side dish or topping on soups or sandwiches. The bigger-leafed, heartier choices with thick stems, such as swiss chard, kale, or collards, are best when cooked, and can all be treated similarly. First rinse well and pat dry. Then remove the thick stems by running a knife along each side of the stem, saving the leafy greens. From that point, you can chop them further and add to sautéing onions with garlic and olive oil, followed by broth to steam and soften them, and whatever herbs or spices you like (try cayenne pepper, a squeeze of lemon, or paprika). You can also get creative by adding other veggies, such as cremini mushrooms or red pepper strips, to the sautéed onions and garlic before you add the kale. The idea is to tenderize the tougher greens and add flavor, but you can add anything you want to make them your own (preferably not bacon fat!).
Another fun idea is to make chips out of them (see recipe following), which allows for plenty of creativity and totally changes the way you’ll think of dark green leafies! Even kids tend to love kale chips, and you can make them as spicy or simple as you like. Consider tossing the baked chips with cayenne pepper, ginger, nutmeg, or smoked paprika to change the appeal. Simple sea salt alone, however, is quite delicious, but should be used in limited quantities to keep the sodium content low. Who would’ve thought kale could be your new favorite snack?
So open your mind to the spectrum of dark green leafy vegetables, and don’t be afraid to experiment! There are countless simple recipes online, or you can stick with the basics and just vary the greens depending on cost, availability, and seasonality. When it comes to greens, more is more!
Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 58
Total Fat: 2.8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
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