Ahh, dark leafy green vegetables. Do you know that they are the number item missing from most American diets? Why? In our busy society, focused on getting more done in record time, our healthy eating habits often fall by the wayside. Most of us don’t eat enough vegetables to begin with and getting in 5-7 servings a day is a pipedream for most. Throw in the additional task of making sure that at least some of them are green and leafy, and we’ve lost even more veggie eaters to iceberg lettuce and tasteless tomatoes.

Greens have been a mainstay of southern cooking for centuries, a key component of any soul food dinner. Traditionally, greens were cooked for many hours, often using fatback (the layer of fat along the back of a pig) for flavor. The notion of greens was perfected by slaves, who got the leftover food from the plantation kitchen. By combining the greens with ham hocks and pigs feet, the meal provided needed sustenance. In addition, slaves benefited from drinking “pot likker” the cooking water from the greens, full of nutrients.

The truth today is that we can prepare greens, with relatively minimal effort and time, all the while creating delicious and nutritious dishes that pack a powerful punch. What’s so great about greens? Let us count the ways.

Greens such as kale, collards, spinach, and swiss chard are bursting with important vitamins and minerals to keep us strong like vitamins A, C, E and K. In addition, greens are full of calcium and provide a tasty and low fat alternative to dairy products. Moreover, greens pack a powerful punch with abundant amounts of magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, folic acid and fiber.

And we’re only scratching the surface. Greens are powerful antioxidants to help prevent cancer, help cleanse and purify our systems and give us abundant energy. Recovering from a cold? Think greens. They help reduce mucus and clear up congestion. In need of some spring time cleansing? Greens will do the trick, helping to detoxify your liver and kidneys.
Simply put, going green is the way to go. And with plenty of options to eat them both raw and cooked, the possibilities are endless.

Filed under: Energy, Greens, Immunity, Vegetables, Vitamins and Minerals