Cook With Greens For Balanced Health
I love a good serving of greens. Be it in a salad side, filling in a burger or sandwich, or just on their own like asparagus spears. A great food group to add to any healthy meal. But what are the nutritional benefits of eating this plant food? How do we incorporate more greens in our diet, and most importantly how do we cook greens? The following article will answer these questions and having you racing to the crisper to get creative with some healthy cooking using greens.
The benefits of eating greens are many, and for the budget conscious, they represent pretty good nutrition for dollar ratio. Lets look at some reasons why you should engage this food group in your cooking:
- Green plant foods are a great for balancing a healthy pH. Modern foods are quite acidic, be it from high sugar content or consumption of meat (or many other reasons). Bad pH levels can cause many health problems to arise so a healthy dose of greens can help reduce your pH to a healthy level.
- Some dark greens contain omega-3, a fatty acid essential for brain function and may other of the body’s functions
- High in antioxidants, greens aid in immune support
- Rich in chlorophyll, a natural blood detoxifier
- High in nutrients and enzymes, C, E and B vitamins
So there you have it, greens are great. Lets look at some ways of preparing greens. Most common is salads for they are quick and easy to create, there are countless salad variations you can make make just use your imagination. Try a vitamin K rich Japanese spinach or juicy garden salad, there are hundreds of ideas out there to try. Juicing is a great way to get the most out of greens, mix them with fruits like apples for a more palatable taste.
If your looking for some warmth in your meal this winter, try steaming a selection of greens. Steamed broccoli, beans or peas go well as a side to roast meats, or a substitute to fries even. Add some greens to your stir fries for extra color.
You see greens can be dressed up for everyone to enjoy and before you know it your plate is full of foods that, not only do you want to eat, but also what you need to eat for a balanced diet.
