The Best Ways to Add More Greens to Your Diet

Sometimes I struggle to get adequate amounts of vegetables, especially green vegetables, in my daily intake. Often I have to sneak them into foods that I love so that I am getting the recommended daily amounts. Use these tricks to add more greens to your favorite food.

Spruce Up With Spinach:

Spinach is a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, C, E, K, B6 and a long list of other nutrients. The only down side is that this vegetable is high in sodium. By adding this to yummy pasta, or by making it your favorite pizza topping you are getting essential nutrients and a serving of vegetables. It tastes great with olive oils, feta cheeses, tomatoes, and cream sauces.

Chop Up Some Cabbage:

Cabbage can be a great addition to soup; an Asian stir-fry ;or side item to beef, chicken, and turkey dishes. Try adding it to your homemade vegetable, leak, minestrone, and potato soups.

Also don't forget your cabbage when you are creating Asian stir-fry. This will add a bit of crunch to your meal. Other Asian foods such as eggrolls and Kim-Chee include cabbage.

Another great way to get the nutritional perks of cabbage is to fix a side of coleslaw. Coleslaw goes great with traditional cookout items, but it also works well with beef stews, chicken pies, and roasted turkey. You can make slaw with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar; you can substitute olive oil or canola oil for the mayonnaise. Coleslaw is a highly personal experience, many people like their slaw sweet while others prefer the strong taste of vinegar. My suggestion is that you try both to see which works best for you. Splenda can also substitute for sugar for a low sugar diet. The website below gives many recipes that use cabbage.

http://www.cheriestihler.com/CC/recipes.html

Keep Your Kale:

Kale can be used in many ways that many of us do not consider. Kale has almost the same nutritional values as Spinach, and is another great way to add leafy greens to your diet. Kale can be added to soups also, such as potato, vegetable, and sausage potato. It can also be added to stir-fry in the same way cabbage was to give an extra crunch to any meal.

My personal favorite is baking kale chips. These are a healthier option to potato chips and can be made in your own home. This recipe demands one bunch of kale, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a dash of seasoned salt to taste. To bake them it is important not to burn them, because kale burns easily. I have found that setting your oven to 350 and baking for about 10-11 minutes.

I hope that you attempt to try these quick easy fixes to your daily meals. By adding these leafy greens you gain all the benefits of eating your vegetables without sacrificing taste.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2626/2

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Seasonal/Winter/Kale/Top.asp