Healthy Eating: Dandelion Greens Cleanse and Detoxify
I don’t do bitter foods well. I get that cringing kind of feeling when I’m about to take a mouthful of say, turnip greens. But even though I may not like the taste, bitter foods are so good for us yet most Americans don’t eat many of them, opting for sweet or salty instead.
The truth of the matter is that bitter greens like dandelion greens are highly cleansing and give our systems a fabulous spring kick-start. Bitter greens help our liver and kidneys to detox, a key phase of “spring cleaning” after a winter of heavy, fatty foods to help us stay warm (or of course we could actually avoid some of those heavy, fatty foods and just put on a sweater).
Like a lot of other dark leafy greens, dandelion greens are rich in antioxidants and important minerals like calcium, iron and potassium. But did you also know that these potent greens are a natural anti-viral and aid in digestion? Given my recent shingles outbreak, I’m eating lots of raw, dandelion greens to help me on the road to recovery. And did you know that they help prevent PMS? (Hello ladies! what better a natural prescription than this?) They also help prevent breast tumors, support clearer skin (as someone with eczema, I’m all over this) and can aid in relieving jaundice, gout and edema. Wow, that’s one potent vegetable!
But here’s the thing, if you’re not naturally drawn to bitter foods, how do you consume them in a way that’s palatable. Here are a few ideas:
- Juice them along with other fruits and veggies to balance the taste. Today I juiced the dandelion greens along with celery, cucumber and a few apples. It was still a bit bitter but lightened the flavor.
- Add dandelion greens to your favorite fruit and veggie smoothie. I regularly add them to a mix of banana and an orange or a pear, to make a healthy and delicious morning drink
- Chop finely and add to your salad along with other, more mild greens and your favorite salad fixings
- Simmer them for about 5 minutes to remove some of the bitter taste (but drink the water that’s full of nutrients)
Are you a fan of dandelion greens? Tell us about your experiences and what you do to get the nutritional benefit while balancing the sharp flavor.
Filed under: Antioxidants, Detoxification, Eczema, Greens, Healthy Meals, Prevention
I make a chopped salad w/ lime. garlic, honey, cilantro. Yummmmm
Being Greek, I was literally raised on dandelion greens so I’m a pit partial to them, as they remind me of my yiayia (grandma) and my childhood
However, I still make them especially when I feel the need to detox. I purchase organic dandelions from typically Whole Foods and boil in salted water (for one bunch of greens-about 3-4 cups of water) with a 1/2 a lemon (drop that in water) for about 15-20 minutes.
I ladle greens out into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, salt/pepper to taste. I too drink the water as that is a great addition to the nutrition!
fyi-one large bunch cooks down into one serving typically and adding a side portion of crusty bread to eat along with it is the best dinner/lunch.
Kristen´s last blog ..Welcome 2010!
I gather whatever dandelion greens I can find, blooming or not. I wash them several times in cool water, give them a little chop if they are large and then put them in my blender with as little water as possible. When they are pureed, I pour the purree into snack size ziploc bags and freeze them. I make a smoothie every three days containing the package of thawed dandelions, blue berries, English walnuts, bananas, red delicious apples, and other seasonal fruit such as cantelope, water melon, maybe some peaches. I put a little stevia in it to sweeten it up some. VERY GOOD AND VERY GOOD FOR YOU!
great article! I just started buying it in the local produce store. I usually juice it in the morning and add orange or grapefruit juice to it with other veggies.
i used Stevia extract as a sugar substitute because i am diabetic. Stevia is really sweeter than sucrose.-~’
we have a small stevia garden at home and the dried leaves are very very sweet;’: