4 Ways to Sneak More Greens into Your Diet
You know you should be eating more greens, but you can only eat so many salads a day! Here are some creative (and effortless) ways to add more nutrition to your daily routine.
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1. Add greens to your favorite foods.
Leafy greens and other non-starchy green veggies such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage can easily be added to almost any meal without sacrificing flavor. Try adding kale, collards, broccoli, and spinach to your favorite noodle- and grain-based dishes. The greens add nutrition, texture, flavor, and a beautiful burst of color to otherwise monotone meals. Greens can also be added to smoothies, burritos, tacos, and casseroles.
2. Snack on green veggies all day long.
Believe it or not, greens make delicious and satisfying snack foods. Kale chips (homemade or store bought), roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and raw collard leaves dipped in hummus can be incredibly satisfying. Crowd out your current snack foods with green veggies, and you’ll notice you have more energy throughout the day.
3. Stock up on frozen greens.
Frozen vegetables are flash frozen at their peak freshness and retain a great deal of their nutrition, often more than fresh veggies that are shipped long distances. Frozen veggies are also a lot easier to prepare than fresh because you don’t have to go through the trouble of cleaning and chopping them. And, you can keep them on hand at all times without worrying about them going limp before getting put to good use. Sure, the texture of frozen veggies doesn’t quite compare to fresh, but they’re the next best thing.
4. Drink your greens.
Juicing green vegetables removes the fiber and leaves you with vitamins and enzymes that are easily absorbed into your bloodstream. Purchase a good juicer to make your own juice concoctions, or pick up a green juice at your local juice bar. Make sure the juice is raw, as pasteurization kills beneficial nutrients. Smoothies are different from juice because they are blended and retain all of their fiber. They’re more filling than juices, and a particularly great choice for breakfast.