Hello best nutrition seekers!
Do you think leafy greens are rabbit food and not fit for human consumption? Or maybe you think eating healthy means eating salads all the time. For those of us who’ve never found a salad we didn’t hate, here are simple ways to sneak more greens into your diet and maybe even enjoy them. Skip the unappetizing canned variety and by the stuff fresh though. Your pallet will thank you.
Here are 10 easy ideas for getting more greens in your system.
#1 – Eggs
One of the easiest, quickest and most nutritious ways of adding greens is via eggs, a highly versatile food. Toss in a good handful of baby greens in scrambled eggs, omelets, and quiches. Serve with eggs Benedict. Personally, I like my eggs scrambled with spinach and a tablespoon of blue cheese crumbles. Spinach and arugula work nicely but you could also try kale.
#2 – Tacos
Love tacos? Skip the nutrition-less iceberg lettuce and use spinach and arugula instead or any fresh greens of your choice.
#3 – Soups and Stews
Almost every soup or stew can benefit from a handful of greens. Just toss them in and stir. They’ll cook down and rarely overwhelm the flavor unless you go crazy on the amount.
#4 – Smoothies
Hardcore health nuts love their smoothies. Many have favorite blends that incorporate spinach or kale. If you’re new to smoothies and shakes, start with fruit and yogurt or fruit and coconut milk blends as these are delicious and easy to make. Throw in a handful of greens and you’re good to go. Most times they won’t overwhelm the flavor either. If you find that they do, start with smaller amounts to build up your enjoyment of the flavor over time.
#5 – Tossed With Pasta
If you’re a pasta aficionado and love chicken alfredo, lasagna and other hearty pastas, stir in a handful of greens with them to up their nutritional content and flavor.
#6 – Curries
Who doesn’t love a curry? Thailand and India produce an endless variety of curries – lentil curries, chickpea curries, red and green curries, etc. Throw a handful of greens in while simmering these delicious meals. You don’t need to make palak paneer to enjoy spinach and other greens in your curry.
#7 – Spinach Dip
This isn’t exactly a healthy concoction but if you’re going to make a dip, why not make it spinach dip and use cucumber slices, carrot, or squash dippers for a healthier version?
#8 – Stir Fry
This addition is simple and easy to do with almost any stir fry recipe. Mix in a handful og greens of your choice with your dish toward the end of the cooking process.
#9 – Sautéed
Enjoy spinach or other greens as a side dish by sautéing with pine nuts and raisins. A squeeze of lemon flavors this quick and easy side. Mix and match with cranberries or different nuts. Other saute ideas include cooking with mushrooms or any veggie really. Use sesame, olive or coconut oil for best flavor.
#10 – Stuffing
Make a creamy spinach stuffing for ravioli, chicken breasts or peppers. Basically you can put this in everything and come out a winner.
Cooking With Greens Made Easy – Some Cooking Tips
If you turn your nose up at salad but want to add in nutritious greens to your repertoire, doing so is easier if you buy bagged or fresh greens. Baby greens like baby spinach make prep work quick because you just reach into the bag and toss, no cutting or trimming needed. They cook quickly as well and just need to wilt in the heat to be ready if you’re not eating them fresh.
For those who find spinach or kale’s flavor overwhelming, buy a greens mix that includes arugula or other mild greens. Collard greens are more fibrous and require longer cooking but can be quite delicious. Chard cooks up nicely with lemon and raisins.
Buy fresh and stay away from watery, odd-tasting canned greens like spinach or collard greens. Fresh greens will introduce you to nice flavors and pack more nutrition and less salt at the same time.
Putting Flavor First
You don’t have to be a masochist about eating greens. Find greens you like and recipes you enjoy. These days Google and YouTube put a host of recipes and dishes at our fingertips. Anyone can be an amateur chef. Don’t feel like you have to stick with a bland, unappetizing salad to eat healthy (or that you ruin with tons of dressing). Instead, look to these 10 ways of adding nutrition to meals you probably already make or would like to try.
Now go out and enjoy your greens and food while maintaining your salad-free lifestyle!
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