5 Easy, Delicious Ways To Make Leafy Greens A Staple In Your Daily Diet

By now, you’ve certainly heard that leafy green vegetables are good for you. But let’s be honest, how often do you actually eat them? If you can’t remember the last time you ate some greens, it could behoove you to step it up.

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, Swiss chard and collards have so many health benefits, it’s almost comical. As in, if foods were superheroes, leafy green veggies would be Batman. They are low in calories and fat; high in fiber; rich in folic acid, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium; and contain a vast array of phytochemicals and antioxidants.

Vegetarian Times has come up with ingenious ways to incorporate this superfood into your everyday diet. When you think greens, it doesn’t always have to mean a steamed side dish or salad. Here are five tasty ways to add greens to the dishes you already love.

1. Add steamed or sautéed greens to pasta dishes.
I do this one all the time. While the pasta is boiling, I’ll sautée a couple handfuls of kale or spinach with some mushrooms (or any other veggie), then combine with marinara sauce and toss it with the pasta. Super easy, and much healthier. Or try this VT recipe for Kale and Cauliflower Alfredo.

2. Fold chopped leafies or whole baby leaves into bean, grain and potato salads.
Who says potato salad has to be white? Or, er, yellow-ish? Adding greens not only boosts the health factor, it also provides some much-needed color and texture to an otherwise dull dish.

3. Feature greens in a flavorful, nutrient-packed topping.
Such a simple solution! Just make whatever you usually make and throw some deliciously prepared greens on top. Eggplant parmesan is pretty delectable as-is, but piled high with spinach? Double the yum.

4. Blend steamed or tender raw greens into batters and doughs.
Okay, I have to admit, this one is for those who have far more Rachel Ray in them than I do. I can’t remember the last time I made dough from scratch, but I did order some spinach gnocchi in a restaurant recently. If I had the time and patience, I’d definitely try this Watercress Spaetzle with Grape Tomatoes (never heard of spaetzle but looks bomb) or this drool-inducing Sweet Potato Cornbread with Collard Confetti.

5. Add two cups of leaves to your favorite smoothie recipes.
Honestly, this one is easy as pie. (Easier, actually, because pie is not really that easy… unless, of course, you’re eating it.) Blending greens into your smoothie honestly does not affect the taste, at least not in an adverse way. Today I threw some kale into my strawberry-banana smoothie and it was scrumptious. Or try this: Chard, Lime and Mint Smoothie, or this Ultimate Green Smoothie.

Everything You Need To Know About Greens Supplement

Greens supplements are one of the fastest-growing supplement categories on the market. Who wouldn't want a day's worth of fruits and veggies in a convenient pill or powder? It is a fact that greens supplements allow you to consume a concentrated version of several fruits, vegetables, and herbs, but their purpose and effectiveness in a hard-training, clean-eating diet are often accompanied by fictional claims.

If used correctly, greens supplements can aid your dietary health but, if used incorrectly, they can potentially sabotage insulin sensitivity and future muscle growth. Green doesn't always mean good. Before you surge through the green light, let's go behind the scenes and separate fact from fiction when it comes to everything green.

1. GREENS CAN REPLACE YOUR MULTI: FICTION



Why eat four daily servings of veggies when you can just pop a few pills to get the same nutritional benefits? Well, because you can't. Greens supplements might be full of concentrated fruits and vegetables, but most companies don't formulate their products to meet essential vitamin and mineral levels. This is especially true for hard-training lifters, who require an increased intake of minerals like zinc and magnesium.

Unless your greens supplement lists out all the vitamins and minerals it contains in their total amounts—or at least in percentages relative to the recommended daily value—don't look for them to become your new daily multi.

2. GREENS MIGHT RESTORE YOUR PH BALANCE

The human body likes to maintain homeostasis. Your acid-base balance, or pH balance, is no different. What you eat may influence the body's pH. This is where green supplements can be beneficial. Grains, dairy, and protein are acidic, while green leafy vegetables are alkaline, or basic. Greens supplements are alkaline, and one of their main benefits is their ability to improve your body's acid-base balance.

Some people design entire diets solely around optimizing pH. This seems a little extreme—and is based on fluctuating research—but there is some logic behind it. An unbalanced pH may lead to decreased bone health, excessive cortisol, and slightly impaired thyroid function. So eating more alkaline foods, like fruits and vegetables, isn't a bad idea from a pH perspective.

Since greens supplements are vegetable powerhouses, it's been proposed that they're a good way to optimize your body's pH. They might actually work that way. A study published in the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition" found that two weeks of daily supplementation with greens led to significant improvements in urinary pH, moving subjects from an acidic pH to one considered optimal. The results from this pilot-type study suggest that a daily greens supplement may improve an acid-base balance that is out of the optimal range.

3. ALL GREENS ARE CREATED EQUAL

It's important to look for ingredients you can quantify in a greens product. You wouldn't use a creatine supplement without knowing how much creatine was in it, right? While the dose-to-effect relationship with greens supplements isn't as clearly defined as creatine, it's still important to be as informed as possible. If a greens supplement advertises that it has green tea extract, it would be good to know how much green tea extract the product contains. Don't take everything at face value. The company might just be sprinkling in enough of the supplement to say that it's there instead of adding the amount necessary for you to experience a quantifiable effect.

4. GREENS SUPPLEMENT TIMING DOESN'T MATTER

This is one case where timing does matter—sort of. As long as you don't take a greens supplement immediately post-workout, you can take it any time.

Exercise is a physiologically disruptive process. It promotes inflammation and oxidation. At first glance this would seem like the perfect time to take a supplement loaded with anti-oxidants ... but it isn't. Training is all about recovery and adaption. The inflammation and oxidation that occur as a result of hard training are part of the natural process your body undergoes to create lasting change. Research shows that dosing your body with high amounts of antioxidants post-workout can put the brakes on your capacity to build muscle.



How? Intense exercise leads to the production of compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS). In other areas of healthcare, those are considered bad. When you hear people talk about oxidative stress, that's ROS at work. However, with intense exercise, ROS may promote the growth of muscle by enhancing the activity of cells in your muscles that are responsible for rebuilding and repairing muscle tissue.

Increased insulin sensitivity is one of the biggest benefits of exercise, but supplementing with antioxidants after exercise can also decrease insulin sensitivity. This means potential gains may go down the drain. To avoid this, don't take your greens supplement within three hours of training.

5. GREENS OVERRIDE THE NEED FOR WHOLE FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
Greens supplements are not a replacement for eating fruits and vegetables and, if you're already eating 10 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, they're probably unnecessary. The additional antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals won't provide much more of a benefit compared to the fruits and vegetables you're currently eating. However, if you eat a low-carbohydrate diet or a small amount of fruits and veggies, then a greens supplement can be a beneficial addition to your supplement regimen.




We especially recommend greens supplements to clients when they travel. Even if you try your best, eating on the road is never as clean as eating at home. The major deficient generally comes in the limited amounts of fruits and vegetables you have access to. Traveling is also stressful on your system, and the added antioxidant power in a greens supplement is a welcomed ally.

These Are a Few Of Best Greens

Most people eat at least one vegetable that's green. Whether it's spinach, broccoli, green beans, peas or all the above, rarely is there a person that does not eat any.From an early age we have our parents and grandparents tell us to eat our greens and even the media, like Popeye, teaches us to eat our spinach so we get stronger. However, these are greens we all grew up on. There are many more greens out there which you may not even be familiar with but should be a part of any healthy and varied diet. Some of my favorites that are currently available are: arugula, chard and bok choy.

Arugula also called salad rocket, Is a very tasty leafy green (picture above) that has a refreshing peppery taste. It is very high with antioxidants and phytochemicals that help fight multiple cancers as well as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate and B vitamins. Arugula is also rich with nitrates that are compounds that help dilate the blood vessels. This in turn helps lower blood pressure and possibly improve aerobic performance. Arugula is mainly used in salads, pasta, pizza, soup or to accompany cold dishes. Here are some great recipes to try out with this lovely, tasty green.

Chard also called Swiss chard, is also a leafy green very similar to kale. The leaf is dark green but the stalk can be in multiple colors mainly: yellow, white and red. The leaf has somewhat of a bitter taste unless cooked. Chard is also rich with antioxidants and phytonutrients that help fight inflammation as well as contains a high amount of vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin K. It is also a good source of different minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron, copper and potassium. Chard can be eaten raw, in soup, stir fry, tomato sauce or even quiche. Here are some healthy recipes to help incorporate more chard into your cooking.

Bok Choy also known as Chinese cabbage, is not a leafy green but a type of cabbage. It has a very subtle somewhat sweet flavor. Similar to the other 2 greens noted above, bok choy also has a good amount of antioxidants and phytochemicals that help fight certain cancers as well as lower the "bad cholesterol", LDL. Bok choy is rich with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and multiple B vitamins. It also has a moderate amount of some minerals such as: potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. Bok choy is not eaten raw but only cooked. It is common in Asian cuisine but can go into anything hot including: stir fry, soup, tomato sauce, chicken saute, etc. Here are13 recipes to help you incorporate this delicious vegetable.

To combine all 3 together here is a cool stir fry recipe:
3 cups chopped chard
3 cups chopped bok choy
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp teriyaki
0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
1 -2 cup arugula

Turn stove on medium. Heat oil in pan. Add onions and stir until slightly translucent (4-5 minutes). Add garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add chard and bok choy stir for about 5 minutes. Add teriyaki and red pepper flakes. Stir until stalks are soft (about 5-7 minutes). Move hot stir fry into serving bowl. Add arugula and stir. Serve hot or cold. Note; you can also add chicken breast or shrimp to make this a complete meal

Greens can be way more interesting than just your usual 4 or 5. Experiment a little and you'll be surprised at what you discover.
Enjoy!