It’s time to stop loading up on those starches (it’s in so much of our diet!) and start loading more greens into your diet. Green veggies are the powerhouse plant foods and should be the main star on your dinner plate. Adding more greens to your diet can add a plethora of healthy benefits. Greens come in a wide variety, such as kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach and dark salad greens. These delicious leafy treats are packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folate, and some greens, like spinach, are rich in Vitamin K. In addition to extreme vitamin and nutritional benefits, greens also pack a powerful punch of disease-preventing antioxidants and phytochemicals. Here are a few simple ways to add more greens into your diet:
- Make kale your best friend. This leafy health powerhouse is great to use in salads, smoothies, and even in chip form. Kale chips will help satisfy your desire for something salty while also packing your body with antioxidants and vitamins. Kale is king when it comes to greens. To make your own kale chips, take kale leaves and strip away the stalk. Toss in a little bit of olive oil and sea salt and bake until crispy.
- Wrap your burger in lettuce. For many of us, dieting can be easy – until we get that craving for a juicy burger. Try skipping the bun and use leafy romaine lettuce instead. Greens such as romaine and collard greens are perfectly thick enough to wrap around your burger, creating delicious little burger wrap. You’re not only cutting carbs, but adding a huge kick of vitamins and antioxidants. Who doesn’t love a guilt-free burger? For an added healthy twist, try a veggie burger or turkey burger instead of beef.
- Add a green supplement to your water. If eating green vegetables proves to be a challenge, consider adding antioxidants or vitamins into your diet. Using a supplement such as NanoGreens or Nourish Greens will provide your daily supply of the best anti-oxidants with the highest ORAC values. Get the added benefits of eating greens by just scooping this powerful powder into water once a day.
- Tuck greens into your chicken breast. Simply cut your free range, organic chicken breast before cooking and stuff it with greens and other delicious stuffables, such cheeses, squash, roasted red peppers, garlic, or spices.
Have another tip for sneaking in greens? Share it with us!