How to Get More Greens in Your Diet

Dark greens are getting a lot of attention lately. These nutritious vegetables are frequently labeled as "superfoods" — and rightly so. Many dark leafy greens (like spinach, kale or collard greens) are packed with a host of beneficial nutrients, like vitamin A, C, E and K. In addition, they're high in a variety of minerals like iron, magnesium and calcium. That's not to mention all the fiber and antioxidants they contain as well!^{[1]XResearch source} Greens are definitely an item you should work to include more often in your diet. Whether you're unfamiliar with these greens and are unsure of the best ways to use them or you're looking for new ways to prepare them, there are many methods and recipes to help you increase the amount of greens in your diet.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Adding Greens to Your Diet

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Serve up greens in breakfast recipes. You may be surprised that breakfast can be a great meal time to include a serving of greens. Get your day off to a healthy and nutritious start by tossing greens (raw or cooked) into some of your typical breakfast recipes.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Sautéed greens work well as a base for poached or sunny side up eggs. They're also great mixed into scrambled eggs or into a frittata. Use olive oil to sauté the greens, and add a healthy fat.
- If you love quick breakfasts, you can add sautéed greens into a breakfast burrito.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Raw greens can be pureed into a breakfast smoothie or juiced for a glass of nutrient-dense vegetable juice.
2
Blend greens into baked goods. Another way to add greens to your meals is by blending them into foods. Baked goods (both savory and sweet) are great vehicles to add greens to.^{[4]XResearch source}
- When you puree or chop greens and add them to baked goods, it's an easy way to get in an extra hit of nutrition and boost the overall nutrient content of the food.
- In addition, if you have any picky eaters in the house, blending greens into baked goods is a great way to sneak them.
- You can add pureed or finely chopped greens into foods like: meatloaf, meatballs, lasagna, mac and cheese, casseroles, burritos or enchiladas, muffins and quick breads.
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3
Toss them into soups and stews. One of the great qualities about greens is that they don't require a lot of cooking time — especially if you mix them into already hot foods and liquids. If you're making a batch of soup or stew, consider throwing a few handfuls of greens at the end of the cooking process. ^{[5]XResearch source}
- Tossing greens into soups and stews is a very quick and easy way to add more to your diet. They wilt very quickly and become soft and very tender.
- You can add both frozen or raw, chopped greens into soups and stews. Both work very well; however, you'll need to add much more raw greens than frozen as these have already been cooked down.
- Consider adding greens to soups or stews like: white bean soup, Italian wedding soup, beef and barley soup, vegetarian chili or chicken tortilla soup.
4
Puree them into sauces and marinades. Greens do have a unique flavor — some are spicy, some are bitter and some even are a little sweet. These flavors lend themselves well to different sauces or marinades.^{[6]XResearch source}
- You don't always have to have greens as a salad or sautéed. They can add a lot of flavor to different sauces or marinades — just like herbs would.
- To help dark greens blend seamlessly into different sauces or marinades, you'll need to puree them or process them in a food processor. Many times, as you're making the sauce or marinade, you'll need to use a food processor or blender. As you add in other ingredients, also add in your greens.
- Ideas for dark greens include: pesto, chimichurri sauce, tomato sauce, salsa and salad dressings.
5
Bulk up the nutritional value of meals with greens. It's always a great idea to look for ways to add more nutrition to each meal. Since greens are so nutrient-dense, adding these to common meals and dishes can help boost their overall nutrient content.
- Think of foods where you could add a few vegetables or greens. Take advantage of that opportunity to add greens to your meals.
- For example, you can add a hefty handful of greens to your sandwich, sub, hamburger or wrap.
- You can also consider using dark greens (especially big leafy ones like kale or collard greens) as your actual wrap. Ditch the bread and use a nutrient-dense dark green for increased nutrition.
- Other opportunities to add greens to dishes include: sautéed greens on top of pizza, wilted greens tossed into spaghetti and chopped greens into grain salads.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making Greens Easy to Add to Meals

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Always wash and prep greens. Adding greens to your meals can be difficult — especially if you're in a rush when you're about to prepare meals. Make it easier to add greens to your diet by doing some prep work in advance.
- When you get home from the grocery store, begin to do some prep work. You can have greens ready to go for meals during the week and save yourself some extra time.
- Most greens, especially those that are coming from the farmers market or are bought in bulk, need to be thoroughly cleaned before using. Toss them in water and run them through a salad spinner in advance. You'll have cleaned and ready to go greens at your fingertips.
- Also consider chopping or cutting up greens in advance. Once they are chopped, you can store them in the refrigerator to use whenever you're ready. Note that some greens will ned some special preparation — you'll need to remove the thick middle stem from collard greens, for instance. Simply fold the leaf in half, and cut down the stem.
- Store your greens in a zip top bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Cleaned greens will store well for a few days.
2
Keep fresh greens handy. Fresh greens are incredibly versatile. If they're prepped and ready to use, they're a great option to have on hand.
- Stock up on fresh, raw greens weekly at the grocery store. Having them available is an easy way to either cook up a quick side dish or serve a salad.
- There are many choices now in the grocery for greens that are already washed, chopped, and ready to use.
- Fresh greens can be used in a pinch as a salad. You have to do little to no prep work with fresh greens. Tossed with some dressing (try olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and a lean protein, you have a great meal in a few minutes.
3
Consider purchasing frozen greens. Another option that can help you increase your intake of greens is by purchasing frozen greens. These are already cooked and chopped so they're ready to be reheated into meals.
- Frozen vegetables are a great alternative to fresh. If you can't find fresh greens that look great at the store or market, consider purchasing frozen.
- Frozen greens are minimally processed. They're generally picked at the peak of freshness, quickly cooked and frozen. In addition, unseasoned greens have no added seasonings or salt.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Frozen greens keep well in the freezer. You can take out a small portion and reheat or cook as needed. They're also a great option if you need larger quantities of greens to wilt into soups, stews or use in baked goods.
4
Wilt greens in advance. A simple trick to help you get in a serving of greens quickly, is by cooking greens in advance. This is especially great if you enjoy wilted or sautéed greens.
- After you've washed and prepped your greens, consider wilting up a batch for the week. You'll have them to use in recipes or to serve as a simple side.
- Wilted greens only take a few minutes to make. You can sauté them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and any other seasonings you like.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you need them. Reheat them in a pan or microwave and you have a great serving of greens ready to eat.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making Recipes with Greens

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Make green scrambled eggs for breakfast. Start off your day with a punch of extra nutrition. Mix in your favorite greens into your morning scrambled for your first serving of these nutrient packed veggies.
- Start by heating a little bit of olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Either add in 1/4 cup of frozen greens (like spinach) or 1 cup of fresh greens.
- Cook the greens until they're wilted and heated through.
- Crack one to two eggs into the pan and lightly scrambled them with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix together until the eggs and greens are combined.
- Cook your greens and eggs until the eggs are cooked through — about two to three minutes. Sprinkle on a little of your favorite cheese and serve.
2
Blend up a green smoothie for an afternoon snack. If you need a boost in the afternoon, blend up a fruit and greens smoothie. You'll never even know you've blended greens into these sweet drinks.
- Start by adding 1/2 cup of either milk, water or 100% juice to the cylinder of a blender.
- Then add in 1/2 cup of your favorite frozen fruit. You can do frozen berries, bananas or even mango. For more protein, add in 1/4 cup of greek yogurt.
- Blend the smoothie for a few seconds until the ingredients just begin to combine. Then add in 1 cup of spinach or kale. Spinach is a little more sweet and less bitter than kale.
- Blend again until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the drink has a smooth and creamy consistency. Drink immediately.
3
Bake up a batch of kale chips. If you enjoy crunchy, salty snacks, swap out your potato chips for kale chips. These are crispy and crunchy and will satisfy your afternoon snack craving.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Start by preheating an oven to 350F. Also prep your kale. Wash and thoroughly dry each kale leaf.
- Rip kale into chip-sized pieces or about the size of your palm. They'll shrink a little bit in the oven. Toss with some olive oil and your favorite spices (like salt and pepper or garlic and parmesan cheese).
- Bake kale chips for about 15 minutes in the oven. Keep an eye on them because they can burn easily. Eat immediately!
4
Take a twist on the classic Caesar salad with kale. If you enjoy classic Caesar salads, you're bound to like a kale Caesar. Almost identical, this salad uses nutrient rich kale instead of romaine lettuce leaves.
- Start by washing a bunch of kale. Tuscan or dino kale is a great version to use as it's a little more tender than curly leaf kale.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Finely shred the kale leaves and toss with your favorite Caesar salad dressing. Allow the kale and dressing to sit together, mixed, for about 30 minutes. This helps tenderize the kale leaves.
- Toss in toppings like shaved parmesan cheese, croutons and anchovies. Serve immediately.
5
Pack low-carb swiss chard wraps for lunch. If you're watching your waistline or just want to try a different take on your lunchtime wrap, try using a lettuce leaf as a wrap. Big, dark greens are great for this.
- Start by thoroughly washing one Swiss chard leaf (you could also use a collard green leaf). With a paring knife, gently and carefully cut out the thick rib or stem from the leaf and discard.
- Spread about 1/4 cup of hummus on the leaf. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Layer on 1/2 of thinly sliced avocado, 2 tablespoons of feta cheese, two to three slices of tomato and a few thin slices of cucumber.
- Roll your lettuce wrap like you would a burrito. Cut in half and serve immediately.
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Greens are a great food group to work on increasing in your diet. The amount of vitamins and minerals are high and can help you improve your overall diet.
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Leafy greens are also rich in fiber. Fiber helps you feel full, and can help with weight loss. Fiber also can lower cholesterol , and help maintain blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates after you eat.
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Try a variety of different greens every week. There are so many varieties, you're bound to find a few that you enjoy.
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