Greens are cool, crisp and packed with nutrients like folic acid, fiber, potassium, iron, vitamin C that are good for your waistline as well as helping to prevent certain types of cancer.
Also known as: Lettuce, Kale, Chard, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, etc.
Likes: Oil and vinegar, a quick sauté with onion and garlic
Dislikes: Being forgotten in the crisper and passed by in the produce aisle
Hobbies: Keeping cool under the misters at the grocery store or soaking up the warm breeze and people watching at the farmer’s market
Find her: Dressing up every meal to help you get loads of nutrition in a beautifully curvy and inexpensive green package
She is cool and crisp and packed with water, fiber and nutrients, but don’t just stick her in a corner to wilt under a suffocating salad dressing. While she does enjoy mingling with the salad toppings on occasion, she is so much more than just a bed of lettuce!
Greens is happy dressing up or down at any meal throughout the day. Find her sautéed to perfection with a hint of olive oil and slivers of onion, almond and garlic as Swiss Chard, tossed with Baby Greens, herbs, goat cheese and a splash of fresh and citrusy vinaigrette as Dandelion Greens or baked and seasoned into a nutty flavored chip as Kale. With so many talents and her ability to dress up the simplest of meals, she may seem like she has every dish and diner wrapped around her vibrant green leaf. The sad truth is she does tend to have fewer fans than she’d like. Her strong flavors and similarity in color to a well-manicured lawn may initially scare off the less adventurous eaters (there’s more to greens than Iceberg lettuce), but those willing to get to know her are rewarded well with added flavor and exceptional nutrition. Find more ways to include Greens in your diet for added folic acid, fiber, potassium, iron, vitamin C and more to help manage your weight and help prevent certain types of cancer. Here are just a few simple suggestions to keep her from feeling left out:
Add a little fresh or frozen spinach to your omelette or scrambled eggs.
Choose darker varieties of lettuce for regular salads and include thinly sliced greens such as chard, kale and mustard greens in salads with strongly flavored cheeses and dressing. May is National Salad Month, but don’t be afraid to celebrate salads all year long.
Include dark leafy Greens in soups and stir fries for added flavor and nutrition.
Sauté greens with a drizzle of olive oil and your favorite herbs and spices and then top with fish or other lean protein.
Here are just a few of the places we’ve spotted Greens at Healthy Dining restaurants:
- Thai Peanut Chicken Salad at Au Bon Pain (200 calories, 5g fat)
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Wheat Wrap at B2 Café (530 calories, 19g fat)
- Poached Organic Eggs at Barbette (170 calories, 10g fat)
- Chicken Florentine Crepes at Champagne French Bakery (410 calories, 17g fat)
- Appetizer: Field Greens, Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs at The Capital Grille (30 calories, 0g fat)
- Spinach Rollups at Zoes Kitchen (410 calories, 14g fat)