Eat Your Greens

Well, spring has sprung, and the shops and markets are full with lovely young greens! What better colour to set off spring. Greens are vital for health, providing us with the minerals that our bodies need in order to stay healthy. Many people have a problem when it comes to eating their greens. Some quickly become bored of salads on a daily basis, some dislike the taste, while others simply will not eat anything green!

Here are a few ideas for EATING YOUR GREENS.

Smoothies Smoothies are a great way to get your daily chlorophyll intake. It is also a perfect way to disguise any taste (if you do not like it) by adding in a piece of sweet fruit. Try apple, kale and ginger, or perhaps spinach and blueberry. Smoothies with greens included are often referred to as ‘Green Smoothies’, they are not always green. Do not be put off by the colour – they taste fantastic!

Because smoothies are blended, the fibres in the green plant leaves are broken down effectively, in turn releasing the nutrients. We humans are pretty lazy at chewing in this day and age, and if we do not chew our food properly then much of the goodness is not able to be taken. Blending your greens into a smoothies is an excellent way to make sure you get the best from those greens.

Ideally your smoothie should be majority ‘greens’ with some fruit just for sweetness. I often make green smoothies with no fruits. It really just depends on personal taste.

Chopped Salads Greens make a salad. Use varied types of lettuces and herbs such as rocket, with some tomato and beautiful olive oil. The combinations available for delicious salads are endless, especially when you experiment with home made dressings too. Simple, and so good!

A salad accompaniment with a meal is the norm in many countries. Why not embrace this routine and make sure that you serve a side salad with lunch and dinner.

Fillings & Salsas I like to use the dark leafy greens for this. Add a few leaves into a food processor, along with some other ingredients such as red bell pepper, tomato, olive oil, chilli, and lemon juice. Chop it down using the food processor. This can be eaten as is, alone, or used to fill nori seaweed wraps, wrapped in a green leaf, or used as a dip for raw veggies, crackers and breads.

There are many many ways to EAT YOUR GREENS, I have mentioned only a few, of course there is much room for experimentation – so just have fun!

- Lorna O’malley