What can I do with dark leafy greens?
Dark leafy greens are amazing and full of nutrients! Some, like Victoria Boutenko (and me!), believe that dark leafy greens should be the staple of any diet. If you have a food pyramid, for example, it should be dark leafy greens – not the old grains or the new fruits and vegetables – that should be at the bottom, the base, of the pyramid.
One of the issues that many people seem to have with dark leafy greens is figuring out what to do with them. There’s the obvious salads – but what else? How can you include dark leafy greens in your daily life without it getting boring?
Here are a few awesome ways to make use of dark leafy greens:
- Salads. The obvious! Salads can turn into an entire meal by adding some grilled chicken, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, or other proteins and healthy fats, or they can be a simple side by drizzling the greens with just a touch of EVOO and balsamic.
- Stir-fries. Piles of dark leafy greens will condense into a tiny amount when you stir-fry them – meaning that you get piles of greens in your meal without even realizing it.
- Pastas. An oil-based pasta is fantastic with plenty of dark leafy greens mixed into the sauce. If pasta is a usual dish in your household, adding greens to it will transform the meal into something brand new.
- Smoothies. Add a few handfuls of dark leafy greens to your smoothie for extra nutrition! Start with just a handful of spinach to ease into it – you won’t even notice it’s there.
- Steam and top with seeds / nuts. Serve it on a bed of quinoa for a main dish.
- Kale chips. You can try dehydrating other greens with some nutritional yeast flake / cashew-based “cheezy” sauce, too.
- Soups. Pile the greens into a veggie soup and puree it. Delish!
- Omelets, frittatas, or scrambled eggs. Mix your greens in with eggs to maximize the nutrients.
- Sandwiches and wraps. Enjoy with hummus and other veggies.
And there you have it: nine ways to eat dark leafy greens! What else would you add to this list? Share in the comments section below!
Omelets for sure! Kale goes well in an egg white, and onion quiche too.
I once heard kale described as, “angry lettuce”. Many ways to tame it.
Ha, “angry lettuce.” I like that. Sounds appropriate for kale!
I do mine SHOVED IN MY VITAMIX 🙂
ME TOO ME TOO!
I love my Vitamix.
I never thought of adding to eggs. Thank you!
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