Simple ways to incorporate greens into your diet

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 by: Sandeep Godiyal
Tags: greens, leafy vegetables, healthy diets

(NaturalNews) Green, leafy vegetables are vital for a healthy lifestyle. Filled with vitamins K, C, B and E in addition to magnesium, calcium, iron and potassium and rich in beta-carotene and omega-3, they benefit our bodies in many different ways. Although extremely healthy foods, they do not always have the best taste. A few popular greens are spinach, kale, lettuce, arugula and radicchio. Usually people don't like them, but for the good of our bodies, we must eat them.

Here are a few ways to eat greens without having to taste them and sometimes without having to see them too.

• BAKED GOODS

A delicious way to hide your greens is to bake them into your desserts and other baked goods. If you puree them, you won't even be able to see them. Add the puree to your brownie, cake, or muffin mix and you won't be able to taste it because of the sweetness. You can even add the puree to pancake or waffle mix. A berry smoothie is a flavorful way to hide the taste of the greens puree. If you bake bread at home, use the puree or minced greens in your bread mix, then add a bit of sea salt on top before baking. Dip it in olive oil and ground pepper for a delicious appetizer.

• MULTIPLE INGREDIENT DISHES

Any food with chunky ingredients will hide chopped greens. Omelets, casseroles, soups, stews, chili, stir fry, pasta sauces and cream sauces will all disguise chopped greens. You can even add a puree to a chicken or beef broth. If you are making your own pizza at home, put a layer of spinach underneath the cheese and other toppings, and you'll never know it's there. For a pot of black beans, chop your greens as small as possible and drop them in the pot. Add some minced onion or a bit of seasoned brown rice and this will become a super-healthy side dish.

• SALADS & MEATS

When making macaroni, potato or any "wet" salad, drop in a handful of chopped greens. They'll stick to the other ingredients, and you won't even know they're there. If your family eats a lot of meat, a great way to sneak in your greens is by adding them to the raw meat mixture before you roll meatballs, make a beef patty or form a meatloaf. Smothered in a rich sauce, you'll never know they are there. Tortilla wraps stuffed with turkey, cheese, dressing and some chopped greens make for a great and healthy lunch. If you're making tacos, add in the greens when you brown the beef or saute the chicken, before you add in your seasoning. For a creamy side dish, you won't realize that you're eating greens if you add them to a batch of creamy mashed potatoes.

• SNACKS

If you like chips and dip, mix up some chopped or pureed greens in your hummus, guacamole or salsa. The flavor of the dip will hide the greens. If you are really daring and are craving a crunch, try washing and drying pieces of kale, lay them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, add some sea salt and then bake them for 10-15 minutes at 350°F.

The benefits of greens in your diet are extensive. Greens are simply concentrated nutrition. They help our bodies by assisting in weight loss, digestion and hunger control. They strengthen teeth, bones, hair and skin, and they help manage high blood pressure. Greens lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, memory loss and macular degeneration. They also ward off depression and help improve your mood.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.joybauer.com

http://parentables.howstuffworks.com

http://www.finecooking.com

About the author:
Sandeep has written many health field articles for both Internet and print publication. He currently writing for insurancetips4u.co.

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