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Thursday 2 September 2021

Eat your Greens - They are so healthy !


"The 14 Healthiest Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre but low in calories. Eating a diet rich in leafy greens can offer numerous health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline.

Here are 14 of the healthiest leafy green vegetables to include in your diet."
Have you a favourite from the list?

"1. Kale
Kale is rich in minerals, antioxidants and vitamins, particularly vitamins A, C and K. To reap the most benefits, it’s best eaten raw, as cooking reduces the nutritional profile of the vegetable.

2. Microgreens
Microgreens are immature greens, which have been popular since the 1980s. They’re flavourful and packed with nutrients like vitamins C, E and K. What’s more, they can be grown all year.

3. Broccoli
Broccoli is part of the cabbage family and packs several nutrients, including the plant compound sulforaphane, which may decrease heart disease and cancer risk and improve your gut flora and even symptoms of autism.

4. Collard Greens
Collard greens have thick leaves and are bitter in taste. They’re one of the best sources of vitamin K, may reduce blood clots and promote healthy bones.

5. Spinach
Spinach is a popular leafy green vegetable that can be used in a variety of ways. It’s a great source of folate, which may prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, during pregnancy.

6. Cabbage
Cabbage has thick leaves and comes in various colours. It has cancer-protective properties and can be turned into sauerkraut, which offers additional health benefits.

7. Beet Greens
Beet greens are edible green leaves found on the tip of beets. They’re full of nutrients, including antioxidants that may support eye health.

8. Watercress
Watercress has been used in medicine for centuries. Some studies have shown that watercress may be beneficial in cancer treatment.

9. Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is a popular lettuce found in many salads. It’s full of water and fibre, making it a great food to help you lose weight. It’s also rich in vitamins A and K.

10. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is rich in colour and often incorporated into Mediterranean cooking. It contains the flavonoid syringic acid, which may be beneficial for reducing blood sugar levels. However, human-based research on its effectiveness is lacking.

11. Arugula
Arugula is a leafy green vegetable that goes by several different names, including rocket and rucola. It’s rich in vitamins and naturally occurring nitrates, which may help reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow.

12. Endive
Endive is a lesser-known leafy green vegetable that is curly and crisp in texture. It contains several nutrients, including the antioxidant kaempferol, which may reduce cancer cell growth.

13. Bok Choy
Bok choy is popular in China and often used in soups and stir-fries. It’s one of the only leafy green vegetables that contain selenium, which benefits your brain health, immunity, cancer protection and thyroid health.

14. Turnip Greens
Turnip greens come from the greens of a turnip plant and are considered a cruciferous vegetable. Studies have found that they may decrease stress in your body and reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammation and atherosclerosis.

The Bottom Line
Leafy green vegetables are packed with important and powerful nutrients that are critical for good health. Fortunately, many leafy greens can be found year round, and they can easily be incorporated into your meals — in surprising and diverse ways. To reap the many impressive health benefits of leafy greens, make sure to include a variety of these vegetables in your diet."

Words above taken from an article by Autumn Enloe.
Read the full article, with relevant links here


Kale and Spinach Soup
Kale and Spinach are both very nutritious vegetables.
Why not try them together in this Vegan Style Kale and Spinach Soup.
more details here

Regular readers will know - there is a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, but please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

40 comments:

Tom said...

...we eat some of these.

Christine said...

A healthy list!

Magic Love Crow said...

Yes, Yes, Yes! Thank you for this important post Jan! Big Hugs!

William Kendall said...

I have always liked broccoli.

J.P. Alexander said...

Yo adoro la lechuga el brocoli y las espinacas. Tambien me gusta la col. Gracias por la receta te mando un beso

babYpose said...

Not so familiar with some, but healthy.

bread&salt said...

I wholy agree with you Dear friend! Leafy green vegetables are very important and useful. Actually, we consume most of the vegetables in daily life you shared in this post. Bye the way, your blog site is really useful and information you shared are valuable! Thank you for providing this site. Happy day. Greetings from Turkey.

peppylady (Dora) said...

Not a big fan of Arugula. But the rest I am.
Coffee is on and stay safe

Margaret D said...

Eat some of these,love Bok Choy and broccoli in particular.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Romaine has gotten a bad rap in the states due to the fact so much of it was found contaminated last year. People got sick and died, so it's no wonder romaine isn't as popular here as it is in other countries. I eat many of these leafy veggies, but still often shy away from romaine. Good article, Jan.

Elephant's Child said...

I really like them, and mourn that we cannot get all of the ones on your list here. It is years since I have had watercress. Too many years.

Linda said...

I like salad but I don't think I've ever had green soup.

Iris Flavia said...

Can´t wait for kale-time and have Watercress in the fridge. Really, I dreamed Ingo´d bought Brussels Sprouts! Can´t wait till it´s time for that!
We had spinach on Sunday :-)

Valerie-Jael said...

I've got spinach and fried eggs on the menu today! Valerie

Angie's Recipes said...

I like Microgreens, Bok Choy and Endive!

Bob Bushell said...

My mum used to say that.

CJ Kennedy said...

Out of your list we eat 2. Kale is just wrong πŸ˜‰

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
Great info and post. I do love most greens, I wished my hubby did too.
I needed a yummy recipe for kale. Take care, enjoy your day!

Ygraine said...

A great list, thank you so much!😊😊
I have to admit, I hadn't even heard of some of these, but now I know about how nutritious they are I will seek them out.
My favourite out of all of these is broccoli. It is delicious!

Have a great day!

Hugs xxx

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Spinach! I know kale is super, but it doesn't have the good flavor of spinach.

Creations By Cindy said...

You've listed so many greens that I love. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Marco Luijken said...

Hello Jan,
This looks always very tasty and it is very healthy.
I love it.

Greetings, Marco

Sussi said...

Like them all!

Jenn Jilks said...

We love our greens. Except arugula. JB won't eat it! I love kale, and did a meal with it the other day: rice, ham, peas, as well.

carol l mckenna said...

Great list of 'greens' ~ so good for us! Xo

Living in the moment,

A ShutterBut Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Sue said...

They are not really exciting are they, but I do eat my greens lol. Take care x

Hilly Nicolay said...

I like to eat potatoes with vegetables.

All the best to you,
Hilly

Steve said...

Great blog glad to come across and be reading some tips for health and loosing more weight.

VENTANA DE FOTO said...

Hay una gran cantidad de verduras ricas y saludables. Ahora de verano apetece mucho las ensaladas de lechuga o bien de col.

Besos

Debbie said...

this was very informative and i am pretty good here. good that i like my greens, but not kale, i don't love kale!!

we are fine here jan, thanks for asking. the stories you are reading/seeing on the news are from northern new jersey, quite a distance from us. we barely had any rain, unless, like they said, it rained a lot through the night!! i saw the pictures on the news too, the damage was so severe. mother nature sure has been testy lately, in so many places!!

you were kind to reach out, i have not been a good blogging friend. i have been very busy recovering and with therapy, but i am doing so much better!!

Ananka said...

So tasty as well. Love the look of the soup :-D

happyone said...

We like our greens here at my house. The soup sounds good. I make a spinach and bean soup which we really like and have it often.

Lowcarb team member said...

@Debbie, I am so pleased all is ok weather-wise for you.
Just take things one day at a time, your blogland friends are all thinking of you and sending healing wishes.

All the best Jan

My name is Erika. said...

I love kale and am glad to see it ranked #1 on the healthy list. It's time to clear a spot in the garden and grow some fall greens I think. I missed them fresh from the garden during the summer, but with the heat, they just bolt.

baili said...

i found some with which i am not familiar at all though most of these are what we eat fondly

my parent loved veggies more than meat dear Jan and so do i
best part about eating veggies is they don't bother stomach at all
thank you for sharing

Conniecrafter said...

I only eat probably half of these, need to expand that

Phil Slade said...

Grilled sea bass and spinach for our evening meal. How's that?

Divers and Sundry said...

I like the greens I'm used to, but I'm not used to a lot of these. Thanks!

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

I try to eat greens every day. Recently, I've been getting micro greens at the local farmer's market.

Teresa said...

Todas las verduras me gustan. Besos.