The benefit of eating more greens is often in the media. When you are in the grocery store or at the Farmers’ Market the choice can be overwhelming. Which greens are best for your health? Which ones have the most nutrients?
Adding these three greens to your diet could make a difference to your health.
Arugula
Arugula packs a nutritious punch. It’s a cousin to broccoli, kale, and cabbage. The leaves have a peppery, spicy flavor that gets stronger the older the plant is. The “baby arugula” you see in the supermarket means the farmers harvested it early, while the plan was still young.
Arugula contains calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, and magnesium. It’s also full of antioxidants – those compounds that can protect against or reverse damage to your cells.
It can be used in salads, soups, on sandwiches, or in smoothies.
Mustard Greens
Mustard greens are rich in fiber, and they have micronutrients like vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, calcium, iron, and magnesium. They also contain many health-boosting antioxidants like beta carotene, which may protect your skin and lower risk factors of diabetes. Mustard greens are also a great source of several B vitamins, including thiamine (B1,) niacin (B3,) and pyridoxine (B6.) A serving also offers high amounts of: Vitamin K.
Not sure how to prepare mustard greens? Try these recipes.
Kale
Kale is one of the healthiest and most nutritious plant foods in existence. It is loaded with beneficial compounds, some of which have powerful medicinal properties. There are many different types of kale. The leaves can be green or purple and have either a smooth or curly shape.
The most common type of kale is called curly kale or Scots kale, which has green and curly leaves and a hard, fibrous stem.
A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains:
- Vitamin A: 206% of the Daily value (DV) (from beta-carotene)
- Vitamin K: 684% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 134% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 9% of the DV
- Manganese: 26% of the DV
- Calcium: 9% of the DV
- Copper: 10% of the DV
- Potassium: 9% of the DV
- Magnesium: 6% of the DV
- It also contains 3% or more of the DV for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron and phosphorus
Eating more kale is a great way to dramatically increase the total nutrient content of your diet.
Next time you go to the supermarket pick up some of these healthy greens and add them to your meals.
If you are curious about what nutrients your body needs to heal, find a Nutrition Response Testing® practitioner near you and get tested. That way you will know exactly what your body needs to heal itself.
Every person’s body is unique and responds to food and nutrients differently. It’s only through testing that you can know what your body needs.
