Ways To Up Your Greens – Part 1

Getting more green leafy vegetables into your diet needn’t be difficult.  Personally, I find it’s all in the  planning, so that I’m not having to overthink it, or spend all my free time preparing and cooking.  (Please see my previous post if you want more information about what exactly a green leafy vegetable is, and what benefits they offer).

  1.  Chop up a salad and store it in the fridge for a few days.  Use rocket, spinach, watercress, romaine and, if you’re feeling adventurous, even kale!  Herbs such as parsley and coriander (if you are a fan) also offer a new flavour dimension. Add salad portions as a side to your meals, or even better, eat it before your meal to kickstart your digestion.
  2. Stir-fry spring greens, broccoli, pak choi, sliced Brussels sprouts or savoy cabbage with onions, garlic and your favourite spices to make a delicious side.  It’s also great with added soy sauce or tamari.  If you make a large batch you can store it in the fridge and add it to your meals.  I really like greens stir-fried this way with added cashews or as a bed for a home-made fat spicy bean burger to sit on.
  3. I find a really quick way to get in the greens is to add them, finely chopped, at the end of cooking.  They add texture and colour to soups, stews and casseroles.  I particularly like adding a big bunch of spinach to a sweet potato and chickpea curry.  Or kale or spring greens are great in a chilli.
  4. Make a green smoothie.  Fill up the blender beaker with at least half leafy greens (I like kale and spinach the best for this purpose), then top up the rest with other vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds or anything else you enjoy or will satisfy you.
  5. Finely chopping parsley and/or coriander is a highly effective way to add nutrients, colour and flavour to a pilaf made of brown rice or quinoa. You could also boil up some wholewheat or red lentil pasta, or buckwheat noodles for a change, stir-fry some onions and garlic, then add in a chopped bunch of gorgeous herbs (or other greens, such as spring greens, savoy cabbage, or pak choi) for a really nutritious but simple meal.

Next time I’ll be giving you some more tips on how to up your green leafy intake. See you then.

If you found the information here useful or if you have any requests for future blog-posts, please post in the comments below.

Sally

Eat Your Greens!

Greens come in all shapes and sizes, each offering a unique combination of nutrients and phytochemicals, that not only work independently of each other to offer your body a multitude of health benefits, but also synergistically, in ways we have yet to fully discover.

One thing people really struggle to get into their diet is green leafy vegetables. This is a shame because they are extremely nutrient-dense.  Rich in vitamins A, C, K and many B vitamins, as well as magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and fibre, these nutrients are an important component for many of our body’s processes, and play a huge role in our mental and physical wellbeing. Nutrients in greens also repair damage from free radicals, help to balance  blood pressure, help protect against cancer, and support our gut health.  Green leafy vegetables also have a high omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, which is exactly what our bodies need to fight inflammation.

Examples of green leafy vegetables are spinach, kale, broccoli, swiss chard, savoy cabbage, spring greens, Brussels sprouts, rocket, pak choi, watercress, romaine lettuce, beetroot tops and even herbs like fresh coriander, basil, chives, and parsley.  It’s also important to vary the types of greens we eat because each type also offers a different balance of nutrients and phytochemicals that help our bodies maintain health in a variety of ways.

There are various ways of getting more of these highly nutritious vegetables into your diet, which I’ll talk about in my next post.  As a rule of thumb, I’d recommend 2-3 portions per day, especially if you are on a dairy-free diet (green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium and magnesium – important for bone health!)  If you can’t manage this at the moment, start with 2-3 portions a week.  Simply eating more of these nutrient-rich vegetables will make a huge difference to your wellbeing then, if you can, build up more portions as you get used to your new routine. 

In the next post we’ll be looking at exactly how to introduce more greens into your diet.

If you found the information here useful or if you have any requests for future blog-posts, please post in the comments below.

Sally

Welcome

Welcome!

My name is Sally and I’m a registered nutritional therapist based in the Todmorden and Rochdale area.

Lots of people say they’d love to take more care of their health, but they don’t have the time, or don’t know where to start.  I totally get that.  I’m the mum of a young person with complex learning and health needs, so I fully understand how tough altering the way you eat or drink, or making adjustments to your lifestyle, can seem when you are time-limited.  By setting up this website, I want to make people who could benefit from dietary and lifestyle support aware of my services.  However,  I’m also hoping that by sharing my experiences and tips, it will be easier for you to juggle all that life has to offer and look after yourself too.

Get in touch for a 15 minute free consultation about your health needs.