You’ve probably always known that you needed to eat more greens. After all your mom has been pushing the broccoli for ages.
Then kale literally exploded – when I worked for Whole Foods Market we touted that sales of kale had increased 1000% in the course of 1 year. Somehow, this explosion convinced everyone that kale was the be all and end all of greens. So much so that many friends and clients started saying “I can’t eat more greens. I hate kale.”
And so while I’m ever grateful for the increased popularity of kale and it’s associated nutrition, I’m bummed that we’ve started to ignore all of the other great greens options that are out there.
Lots of Different Greens Choices
Enter my handy-dandy chart on greens and how to use them. First and foremost, please note that none of this is a statement on what greens are best because in my mind they’re simply different.
For me, it comes down to this simple question: ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY EATING GREENS REGULARLY? Yes? You’re doing great! No? Here are some ideas to try?
Got it? Good. Let’s go:
You’ll notice that the greens above are organized in order from mild to strong. I recommend starting with the mild ones (raw or cooked), then as you get more brave moving toward strong, cooked greens. Eventually, you can then start incorporating more raw, strong greens.
Try Different Greens
The main reason for trying different greens? The variety of colors and flavors also signifies a variety of nutrition.
While all greens have a similar nutritional profile in that they’re rich in antioxidants and fiber, they also have unique nutritional highlights. For example:
- Spinach has more iron than other greens
- Kale is a great source of calcium
Why the difference? These unique characteristics can be attributed to the differences in the plants, which you can see through:
- Color / shade of green
- Flavor – bitterness, saltiness, sweetness
Eat More Greens with these Great Greens Recipes
Ready to get your family eating more greens? Me too!
Here are some great family-friendly recipe ideas to try:
- Green Mint Shake
- Green Oat Pancakes
- Kale White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Spinach Balls
- Shrimp and Sautéed Spinach
- Garlicky Swiss Chard and Chickpeas
- Swiss chard Potato Chive Frittata
- Stir Fry Chinese Mustard Greens
- Southern Style Mustard Greens
Thanks, great article.