Eat Your Greens

I think it's pretty safe to say that we all know we need to eat greens. Greens like spinach, romaine, chard, cabbage, and the list could go on. If you do a bit of nutrition research you will find that most greens have list of nutrients that could rival a multivitamin. It seems like the darker the green the more nutritious they are. They are full of iron, calcium, fiber, vitamins A, B, C, E, K, etc. So the question now is, if greens as so good for you why in the world are they so hard to eat?

I'll admit that greens are not the easiest thing for me to put in my diet. Don't get me wrong, I love salads with romaine and spinach, however, while they are good for you they aren't the most nutrient dense of the bunch. Greens (the darker ones like kale, collard, and chard) can be quite tough and bitter. Definitely not something I would be excited to go eat. That said I realize the benefit they are to my health so I have been trying to wean myself into eating more variety of greens.

I have found that I really like greens cooked in soups, stews, and casseroles. Granted I like them more cooked than they recommend for optimum nutrition, but it's a step. One of my favorites is savoy cabbage. When cooked in soups it can lend a sweet delicate flavor. I have even eaten, and liked, lentil soup with collard greens cooked in it.

Many people swear that the way to "get your greens" is to drink green smoothies. They say that it provides you with a boost of energy and nutrients, which I can see to be true. One lady whose blog I check occasionally said it like this, "I love green smoothies because I feel the living energy pulsing through my veins!" I have tried to make a couple of green smoothies over the past year and all I've felt is a rock in my stomach, no "pulsing energy". I found them to be watery and bitter. I got a few mouthfuls down, but never the full thing. So I gave up. I figured I'd just get my greens from salads and soups.

But then again it's not like me to give up completely. I decided this morning that I'd try again. It had been several months since I've tried. Maybe my tastes have changed. Plus I decided that maybe I needed to slowly move into green smoothies. So this morning I made something in between a fruit smoothie and a green smoothie. You know what? It was pretty good! (For a green smoothie)

Here's what I did...

Fill the blender 3/4 full with mixed baby greens
(I use Organic Girl Baby Spring Mix. It provides a variety of greens. Being 'baby greens' they tend to be sweeter and more tender, thus easier on the palate and digestive system. Perfect for acquiring your taste for greens.)
Fill the blender 1/2 full with cold filtered water.

Blend greens and water until completely blended

Add
1 small banana
1 ripe pear
1/4 of an avocado
1 Dole fruit cup of Mandarin Oranges (juice and all)

Blend until smooth. Enjoy! (makes about 3 glasses worth)

The avocado and banana yield a creamy smooth flavor that makes it easier to get down. Even though there's a lot of fruit in here it's not really sweet, so be prepared.

Even though I didn't use some of the heartier greens I think this is a pretty good start. I'll just try to keep making baby steps to eating more variety of greens, including the 'yucky' ones. :)