I need to increase the "leafy greens" in my diet

[Halftime Hope]

doctor says kale, chard, et al. :) Can someone give me ideas? Raw and cooked, please, and I don't have a juicer, so that's not practical.

 

I eat raw spinach and leaf lettuces in salads, but that's the extent of the dark green leaf veggies I consume.

 

Please helpo me expand my repertoire.

 

TIA!

[Mom22ns]

I can't increase your repertoire, but we eat a big spinach salad every night. I put spinach, dried cranberries and almonds in (if we have company I add Feta). Then I top it with a homemade dressing that is vinegar, olive oil, OJ concentrate, onion, and Splenda. Everyone who has had it loves it and I eat several cups of spinach that way every day.

 

Oh, if I'm out of cranberries, I replace them with mandarin oranges. Yum.

[nd293]

I use chard like I use spinach, raw in a salad (I don't like lettuce much, so use these instead). I also use them raw, tossed through pasta along with whatever sauce, or with stirfy type veggies.

[Jane in NC]

I keep bags of spinach and kale in the freezer, then just toss a handful or two into a variety of meals. You can add greens to soup, pasta sauce, casseroles.

 

One of my favorite ways to eat chard involves first sauteing garlic and ginger in some olive oil. Add the chard and saute until wilted. Finish with a bit of sesame oil.

 

Other ideas include Portuguese Kale soup or kale chips--I saw the latter idea on this board!

[MaMa2005]

Make yourself some green smoothies. An easy and quick way to increase all those leafy greens.:001_smile:

[MissKNG]

You can add spinach to a lot of things - sandwiches, homemade lasagna, soups, a rice dish (I use a large stir-fry skillet and add rice, broccoli, spinach, some salt free vegetable bouillion (sp?) and shredded cheddar cheese). You can add meat and more vegetables too. I use that rice dish to use up odds and ends.

[In the Rain]

Spinach- our normal salad blend is half spinach. Dh and I could eat all spinach, but the kids complain it is hard to get on the fork. :tongue_smilie: I keep a bag of baby spinach in the fridge at all times and add it to lots of things- soup, casserole, pasta sauce, pizza, pots of beans.

 

Kale- the kids love baked kale chips. They alternate between choosing lacinato kale or leafy kale. It is mostly a texture difference. We have had a hard time finding tasty kale in Texas, so we don't eat much any more. In Oregon, we bought at least 3 bunches a week. Massaged kale salad is a big hit here too. I have made kale soup, but my family prefers the previous methods. Kale salad stores well in the fridge for several days if you add raisins at the table.

 

Chard- according to "The World's Healthiest Foods", chard should be boiled briefly. Sometimes I do that, and sometimes I saute it, which I think is faster. When my kids were little, they got very excited by choosing red stems or rainbow stems. They are wise to that trick now. :lol:

[DawnM]

I have toasted kale in a pan with sesame oil and sesame seeds on top....I put that over brown rice and may add a little soy sauce.....it is yummy!

[MBM]

Dr. Weil's has a section of his website devoted to recipes. Here are a few that contain greens.

 

Dr. Weil's Greens Recipes

[Alessandra]

In my supermarkets, there is spinach in a microwavable bag. Microwave and you have cooked spinach. Not gourmet fare, but a start.

 

But this sounds fantastic:

I can't increase your repertoire, but we eat a big spinach salad every night. I put spinach, dried cranberries and almonds in (if we have company I add Feta). Then I top it with a homemade dressing that is vinegar, olive oil, OJ concentrate, onion, and Splenda. Everyone who has had it loves it and I eat several cups of spinach that way every day.

 

Oh, if I'm out of cranberries, I replace them with mandarin oranges. Yum.

 

We like steamed broccoli (I know it's buds and not leaves -- but similar vitamins, I presume) with a little soy sauce.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Alessandra

[LG Gone Wild]

Have you thought about powdered greens? Yes, you should eat more but powder can help you. You can find it in health food stores. Just mix it with some juice.

[susankenny]

Kale is really delicious. I use a recipe from the Good Eats show (Alton Brown). It has garlic, lemon juice, honey, and crushed red pepper. You could probably google the exact recipe (as I can't recall it specifically right now) - it will change your whole mindset on kale. It is sooooo yummy!! I also love collards, turnips, etc. I'm a southern gal though & any type of green with corn bread and pinto beans is awesome to me!

 

 

 

Susan

[susankenny]

Oh, I forgot. This website is AWESOME.

 

http://www.365daysofkale.com/

 

 

Susan

[JadeOrchidSong]

In my supermarkets, there is spinach in a microwavable bag. Microwave and you have cooked spinach. Not gourmet fare, but a start.

 

But this sounds fantastic:

 

 

We like steamed broccoli (I know it's buds and not leaves -- but similar vitamins, I presume) with a little soy sauce.

 

I hear that microwave makes the vitamins not good any more. Any thoughts?

[Carol in Cal.]

How to saute greens:

 

Wash them thoroughly and spin dry.

Cut in narrow strips across the grain. This eliminated stringiness.

 

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add two cloves of garlic, chopped, or one shallot, chopped. Saute until done. Dump in the greens and saute until they change color all over. They will go from bright to dark-ish green. Sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon (bottled is fine). That is all you need to do for tender greens like spinach. For tough ones like collard or beet greens, cover the pot. Turn down the heat and let cook for about 10 minutes until tender.

 

You can thrown in a handful of nuts just before serving. Pinenuts go especially well with cooked greens.

 

Honestly, these are really good--not like the dreaded canned spinach of yore.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

There is one more thing I do to eat more salad greens. I either buy them washed and bagged, or wash and spin them dry and put them in a Tupperware. I do not believe in plastic except for this, generally. Then I eat them while I'm doing paperwork or reading, with my fingers, with no dressing, sort of absentmindedly, like potato chips only healthy. This doesn't sound all that great, but it's a good way to get a lot of them into me. I drink water alongside of this. This is a great appetite suppressant if you're on a diet as the greens and water feel bulky to your stomach and when you eat a regular meal later you feel full sooner. Faves include: romaine lettuce, mixed salad and fresh herbs, radiccio, cabbage, and mache (feltsalat). For more veggie variety I do the same with cut up fennel bulbs, carrots, and colored sweet peppers, all raw and undressed.

[Margaret in GA]

This recipe is similar to what I do with Collards:

 

http://www.thejoykitchen.com/recipe.lasso?menu=one&recipe=1194

 

I also eat this for breakfast quite often: poached or fried egg over sauteed spinach and onions. It's quite good and a great, healthy start to my day. Good luck!!

 

Margaret

[Amira]

The biggest thing that helped me was to find some recipes for cooked greens that I liked. I really like them raw, but it's hard to get through enough of them when they are raw. I have a lot of Asian-style recipes I like now.

[justamouse]

you can put them in a blender, too, you don't have to juice.

 

Fry up cabbage with EVOO, garlic, salt and pepper.

 

Kale, like posted before alla Alton Brown is delish.

[Moira in MA]

Here's a terrific recipe for a raw kale salad -- even w/video instruction on massaging your kale.

 

massaged kale salad

 

We eat this often, tastes even better the next day and if you add the cheese as you use the salad it keeps for longer.

 

HTH

~Moira

[WistfulRidge]

I can't increase your repertoire, but we eat a big spinach salad every night. I put spinach, dried cranberries and almonds in (if we have company I add Feta). Then I top it with a homemade dressing that is vinegar, olive oil, OJ concentrate, onion, and Splenda. Everyone who has had it loves it and I eat several cups of spinach that way every day.

 

Oh, if I'm out of cranberries, I replace them with mandarin oranges. Yum.

 

That sounds exceptionally yummy!

[Mejane]

Second (or third) the smoothies. As Julie said, you can use your blender. I've read it's also a more efficient way to absorb nutrients as the food is already pulverized, so there's not so much of that annoying chewing. ;)

[prairiewindmomma]

I have a green smoothie every morning. They are quick to make and YUMMY! My favorite is spinach, blueberries & a T. of flaxseed.

[Peela]

Green Smoothies.

Palak Paneer.

Chinese stir fry.

 

 

 

 

Sesame Spinach Salad

 

 

 

(its addictive)

 

 

2 tbs oil

1tbs soy sauce

2 tbs wine vinegar

1 clover garlic, crushed

Pinch sugar

¼ tsp nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

250gms young fresh spinach

2 tbs toasted sesame seeds

1. Mix together in a jar: oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar, nutmeg, pepper and ginger. Cover, shake well, put in fridge till needed. (I put it all in a blender but its not necessary).

Wash and dry thoroughly the spinach and tear into smallish pieces (I don’t if I have baby spinach) . Place in salad bowl and pour on the dressing, then sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Toss lightly. Serve fair

[JennyD]

I stir-fry kale and/or chard frequently, either with Italian (lemon, garlic, red pepper) or Asian (sesame, soy) flavors. I also make a lot of frittatas and omelets with spinach and other greens.

 

I also sometimes make 'greens pancakes' -- it's a recipe I got from our local CSA farmer: Chop and wash a whole bunch of greens -- any mix is fine. Put into boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain, squeeze, mix with onion (I saute the onion first), some cheese (I think Gruyere is best, personally), add an egg or two, and then fry in a little bit of oil or butter (I use a combo of olive oil and butter). My husband absolutely adores these.