Healthy Greens and How to Cook Them

Food, Health

Eating enough vegetables, particularly leafy greens with plenty of vitamins and minerals, is an important element of every diet program. It is essential that your body gets the nutrients it needs to function optimally, and that means consuming enough vegetables as part of your diet.

There are a lot of healthy greens to choose from too. Kale and arugula are particularly popular right now, but they are far from being the only leafy greens that you can cook to make healthy meals. There are other healthy greens you can try too.

Bok Choy

Bok choy is a staple in many Asian recipes, but it is actually an easy vegetable to add to a wide range of dishes. Bok choy leaves contain a lot of magnesium and also have anti-inflammatory properties, which means consuming this vegetable gives you a long list of benefits.

Bok choy works really well with noodles and salads. You can find Shanghai Bok choy or baby Bok choy to make cooking this vegetable easy because baby Bok choy is softer and easier to work with. You can even fry Bok choy to amplify its crunchy texture.

Chard

Chard is the next vegetable on our list. Similar to Bok choy, chard is also easy to work with. However, chard is best cooked well-done and added to dishes that require a lot of heat. You can chop it up or use larger pieces to balance your dishes.

Chard works really well when used to make frittatas and mixed with other ingredients like onions and lentils. It comes with antioxidants, iron, and chlorophyll, all of which are good for the body. You’ll find the taste of chard – when cooked properly – to be refreshing too.

Arugula

There are reasons why arugula is very popular right now, starting with the fact that it has a peppery taste to it. Arugula adds the right amount of spice to a dish without overpowering other ingredients. It is also very easy to work with since it can be used as an alternative to baby spinach.

Arugula contains a lot of antioxidants and vitamins, including vitamins A and C. It also has a high concentration of manganese, which is a nutrient required by your bones to maintain strength. Use it to make soups or as an added ingredient in your pasta or pizza.

Ashitaba

If you are familiar with Matcha, you will certainly love Ashitaba. Ashitaba is a leafy green famous for its healing properties. A lot of Japanese cuisines use Ashitaba as an ingredient exactly for this reason. It is a known anti-inflammatory and contains plenty of vitamins and minerals; you can find more about the benefits of this great resource.

Ashitaba is best used in moderation as a way to add an interesting twist to your dish. You can sprinkle Ashitaba on pasta, noodles, and a wide range of other dishes. It also works as a compliment for rice; throw a few leaf stalks into steamed rice and stir to bring out its natural flavor.

Spinach

We really can’t talk about greens that are easy to cook – and have plenty of benefits – without talking about spinach. Spinach works with everything; you can even create a spinach smoothie with other fruits and vegetables, and you’ll still end up with a delicious drink.

It is a versatile vegetable that can be used in various dishes. It also comes with great nutrients too, especially since spinach is full of vitamins and minerals. What’s interesting is how spinach releases its minerals depending on how it is cooked.

Asparagus

Asparagus may not be high on the list of favorite vegetables, but it is a very good green to consume. On top of that, asparagus is easy to prepare and works really well in everything from a breakfast frittata to pasta for dinner.

Asparagus is filled with minerals that help your hair, skin, and bone grow more healthily. If you are suffering from inflammation, consuming asparagus also eases the symptoms of inflammation sooner than you think.

Broccoli

If you haven’t tried roasted broccoli in the past, now is the perfect time to give it a go. Broccoli is not only versatile as a vegetable but also incredibly delicious when cooked properly. You don’t have to add much either; a mix of broccoli, arugula, and lentil in a salad bowl is very delicious.

The key to getting the most out of eating broccoli is managing the heat. Similar to spinach, broccoli contains a lot of vitamins and minerals that react differently to heat. You can maximize your nutrient intake by roasting or slow-boiling broccoli to make different dishes. Health benefits associated with broccoli are infamous. You might know how important it is for eye health and can even prevent blindness. Of course, sometimes vision problems do require medical help from clinics like https://sharpe-vision.com/austin/. However, you can take these green veggies as an additional supplement.

Romaine

Romaine is a lot like your ordinary iceberg lettuce, but it comes with more benefits. Visually, it has a deeper green hue than lettuce, so you know you are getting more nutrients from it. Aside from the antioxidants found in it, the green also contains a natural sleep-enhancing compound.

Yes, romaine can be used as a substitute for lettuce. You can put it in your burger or mix with other ingredients to make a green salad. It is best to consume romaine for dinner since the body can then absorb the nutrients in it more optimally while resting.

Kale

There are a lot of misconceptions about kale right now, primarily about how bad it tastes. Kale is actually very delicious when cooked properly. It is crunchy but not overpowering, allowing it to be mixed with other ingredients to create incredible dishes.

The crunchy nature of kale also makes it perfect for simple salads; add olive oil and roast it to make your own kale chips, or simply turn kale into a delicious smoothie to enjoy in the afternoon. Don’t get me started about the health benefits of kale because there are so many of them.

You can choose any of these greens and gain a lot of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, while still have delicious dishes to sample. Even better, you can mix them in dishes like salads and pasta to further amplify the benefits of consuming healthy greens. All you have to do now is find recipes to try with these ingredients.

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Sam Roberts

My motto in life is 'a busy household is a happy household', and my family of seven certainly keep me busy! I'm a trained chef with a passion for creating nutritious meals that are easy for everyone!My five kids are my life and everything I do is for them.