We all know that leafy greens are good for us, but it can be challenging to include enough of them in our day. But it’s important that we do because the high fiber content and the long list of micronutrients, leafy greens are important in a healthy diet.
If you feel like eating your regular salad all the time gets boring, then you will appreciate the extra ideas in this blog. There are plenty of other ways to incorporate leafy greens into your diet.
Here are some tips and tricks to include more greens in your day!
Add Greens to Your Smoothies
Start your day on a healthy note by adding some spinach or kale to your morning smoothies. Add a small amount of fruit, such as a banana, and you’ll barely notice a difference in taste. Berries also tend to mask the taste of kale and spinach well. If you’re feeling brave, opt for a completely green smoothie. If you need help with creating green recipes that taste great, here’s a link to my FREE Green Smoothie Challenge.
Make a Delicious Salad Dressing
While the classic olive oil and lemon juice combination is an easy and healthy salad dressing, eating the same salad every day can get repetitive and boring. Sometimes, it’s nice to try new flavors. For example, try a different salad dressing, using ingredients such as honey, Dijon mustard, or citrus fruits instead of lemon. The dressing can completely change the taste of your salads, and you might enjoy those leafy greens more than you think. Here’s another dressing recipe that I love: Orange Hemp Seed Salad Dressing.
You can also get a bit creative with your salad itself. If you regularly have a green lettuce salad with only a few regular veggies, try something like spinach and strawberries with almonds. It’s delicious and makes eating salad a bit more fun.
Sneak in Some Greens to Your Cooked Meals
You can incorporate leafy greens into many cooked meals, such as an omelet, curry, or pasta. Blanching or pan-frying leafy greens also gives them a less bitter taste and softens their tough fibers, making it easier to eat more of them. Wash and prepare your leafy greens ahead of time to feel more motivated to include them in your meals. You’d be surprised at how many meals you can sneak some greens into— from soups to pizzas— you really can’t go wrong. If you’ve never done this before, here’s a simple recipe to start: Braised Greens with Turmeric
Try Kale Chips
Who doesn’t love a good crunchy snack? Kale chips are an excellent way to add more leafy greens to your diet without feeling like you’re eating greens. Simply toss kale with olive oil and seasoning of choice, and bake until crisp. They’re crispy, tasty, and much healthier than potato chips. You can also use an air fryer or dehydrator if you prefer not to use any oil. Season with anything you like— from garlic to chili flakes, the options are endless.
Want a recipe to try it? Here you go: Baked Kale Chips
Try Leafy Green Wraps
Wraps are an easy way to incorporate more leafy greens. If you want to try a low-carb alternative, you can use leafy greens as the wrap itself. Use romaine lettuce or Swiss chard leaves as your wrap and stuff it with your favorite ingredients. If you choose to have a regular wrap, include those raw greens inside your wrap. They can make your wrap taste more refreshing while providing those essential nutrients. Get creative with this one!
Make a Green Sauce
If you have plenty of leafy greens left over, use them to make a green sauce. You can make homemade pesto or blend up a handful of greens to make pasta sauce. Pesto doesn’t have to be limited to basil— you can add baby spinach, and the flavors will still be rich and delicious.
Most importantly is to get consistent and creative with including healthy greens in your day. They provide so many necessary nutrients, and if there is ONE thing I would recommend to everyone that wants to have more energy, lose weight and live a long healthy life, it would be to get more nutrients into you.
If you need some motivation to get going, be sure to sign up to my Green Smoothie Challenge. The recipes inside are delicious! It’s free to sign up- just click the button below.
