Gorge on Your Greens

Kale. Spinach. Collards. Swiss Chard. Mustard Greens. Turnip Greens. Broccoli. Cabbage. Zucchini. Brussels Sprouts. These are some powerful vegetables filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that can protect you from heart disease, diabetes and even cancer!

What are in these magical green veggies that make them so awesome?

Kale: Vitamin A, C and K. Calcium. Folate. Potassium. Manganese.

Spinach: Vitamin A and C. Folate. Calcium. Manganese. Magnesium. Iron. (Fun Fact: Heat releases more nutrients in spinach)

Collards: Vitamin A, C and K. Magnesium.Calcium. Folate.

Swiss Chard: Vitamin A, C and K. Magnesium. Copper.

Mustard Greens: Vitamin A, C and K. Folate. Calcium. Potassium.

Turnip Greens: Vitamin A, C and K. Calcium. Folate.

Broccoli: Vitamin A, C and K. Chromium. Folate.

Red/Green Cabbage: Vitamin B6, C and K. Manganese.

Zucchini: Vitamin A, B2, B3 and C. Copper. Manganese.

Brussels Sprouts: Vitamin A, C and K. Folate.

Even though these veggies are packed with amazing nutrients for your body it can be hard to incorporate them into your diet. Most of these green veggies have a unique flavor which can turn a lot of people off or they are unsure of how to cook them.

Three Easy Ways to Get More Greens in Your Diet

1. Smoothies: Fruit, yogurt, ice, nut butter and a handful of spinach or kale. The fruit covers up the taste of spinach and kale so add a handful then blend, taste and add more until you are satisfied with flavor.
2. Chop it up! Add any of these greens to meatloaf, spaghetti, scrambled eggs or any other dish by chopping them into very small pieces so the taste is hidden. This is also a great way to sneak veggies into your kids!
3. When in doubt add bacon: Although I don’t recommend eating veggies and bacon every night it can make for a quick and delicious side dish. Roast these greens with some bacon, sprinkle some salt/pepper and squeeze a bit of lemon on top post-roasting.

Kale Chips Recipe:

My favorite way to eat kale is to make kale chips. Super easy and tastes delicious! There are a million different ways you can spice kale chips so use what you like and get creative! I have used garlic, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, cumin, paprika, taco seasoning and just plain old salt and pepper. The combinations are endless.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash and dry your kale (kale must be dry for them to crisp in the oven!)
3. Chop kale into even sized chunks
4. Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil on kale and mix with hands (avocado oil or grape seed oil works best!)
5. Lay kale out on cookie sheet. Make sure kale is flat and aren’t overlapping.
6. Sprinkle with seasoning of choice (my go to is garlic powder and a little paprika)
7. Cook for about 10 minutes, might need to rotate sheet depending on oven. Stay close to the oven! Kale chips burn very easily and turn bitter which is gross.
8. Once out of the oven sprinkle some salt on them and eat!

This recipe is inspired by NomNomPaleo Kale Chip

Need more inspiration?

Here are my favorite recipes so you can incorporate these powerhouse vegetables into your daily diet:

Kale Recipes:

• Kale Brownies
• Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
• Potato and Kale Cakes

Spinach Recipes:

• Spinach Green Apple Smoothie\
• Sautéed Spinach with Bacon, Shallots and Mushrooms

Collards:

• Tasty Collards
• Stuffed Collard Greens
• Southern Style Collard Greens

Swiss Chard:

• Swiss Chard with Raisins, Pine Nuts and Porkitos
• Swiss Chard with Olives
• Swiss Chard with Pistachios and Mint
• Sautéed Swiss Chard with Blood Orange Dressing
• Swiss Chard with Ginger and Cumin

Mustard Greens:

• Braised Mustard Greens and Bacon
• Sauteed Mustard Greens with Brussels Sprouts

Turnip Greens:

• Stir Fried Turnip Greens and Mushrooms
• Turkey, Turnip Greens and Cauliflower Soup
• Coconut Creamed Turnip Greens

Broccoli:

• 10 Ways to Dress Up Your Broccoli
• Garlic Roasted Broccoli
• Creamy Broccoli Casserole 
• Curried Cream of Broccoli Soup

Red/Green Cabbage:

• Red Cabbage with Carrot Ginger Dressing
• Sautéed Red Cabbage with Onions, Garlic and Anchovy
• Sautéed Cabbage with Apple and Onion

Zucchini:

• Broiled Zucchini
• Zoodles!
• Zucchini Brownies
• Gingered Zucchini Soup

Brussels Sprouts:

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Rutabaga 
• Brussels Sprouts Chips
• Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Asian Citrus Dressing

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