Hey Friend! Are you looking for more ways to get in more leafy green-goodness in you and your family?
Lucky you!
Here I share with you one of my favorite ways to eat my greens. It’s a delicious way I’m getting more fruits & vegetables in every day as I’m building abundant health.
Also check out the BONUS video and FREE resources below to help you live life more abundantly.
An awesome way to eat greens.
It’s true, I love my favorite green smoothie, but I’ve found another simple and oh-so-satisfying way to get in more servings of leafy green vegetables: steamed power greens.
This isn’t a new idea. However, it was new to me just a couple years ago and since then I’ve been hooked. Maybe it’s new to you too! I’m happy to tell you all about it.
Actually, eating cooked greens has a long and colorful history. Ancient Romans like Julius Caesar ate collard greens to help with digestion after royal banquets. In the American South, as early as 1669, African slaves perfected the art of cooked greens to what is now known as Soul Food. Today American Southern food includes much-loved collard greens and black-eyed-peas.
But for this white girl from Utah the closest thing I knew to eating cooked greens was the frozen cube of spinach my mom made occasionally. And I wasn’t much of a fan.
But NOW I understand. Now I’ve seen the light and eat my steamed greens almost every day.
Why you’re going to love steamed greens.
Here are three reasons why steamed greens are so great and why you’re going to love them:
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- They are warm and satisfying especially on cold days when a tall frozen glass of green smoothie would chill you to the bone.
- They taste REALLY good when not over-cooked and seasoned right slathered in butter and coconut oil.
- They are some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.
Abundant health for me includes getting in as many live fruits and vegetables as I can and eating steamed or sauteed greens helps me reach that goal.
Hey Friend!
Getting maximum fruits and veggies each day is like a challenging game for me. I keep score and cheer myself on with each victory. I created a printable tally-sheet to keep me motivated and on track. You can get a printable copy of it below to help you keep track of your fruit and veggie intake and meet your goals too.
I’ve studied the health benefits of eating more live fruits and vegetables and am convinced of their goodness. But in preparation for this article I brushed up on my knowledge and was so satisfied to study again how healthful the leafy green vegetables are that I love to eat steamed and sauteed.
Here’s what I found in a quick search on the internet on the health benefits of different greens:
Chard
vitamins A, C, E, K, calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, copper, zinc, packed with disease-fighting antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, anti-inflammatory flavanoids, loaded with fiber, helps with heart health, fights cancer, builds bone, lowers risk of chronic diseases, improves digestion, maintains healthy brain function, protects eye health, and benefits nerve and muscle function 1, 2
Kale
rich in antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol and vital nutrients that support detoxification, heart health, cancer prevention, and brain development, vitamins A, C, K, B6, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, fiber, lowers the risk of heart disease, helps prevent cancer, protects eyesight, promotes healthy blood clotting, improves skin health, helps keep healthy blood sugar levels 3, 4
Spinach
vitamins A, C, K1, B6, B9, and E, source of folic acid, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant reduces damage of free radicals, great for eye health with carotenoids such as zeaxanthin and lutein, anti-cancer properties, aids in moderating blood pressure 5, neurological and cognitive benefits, strengthens muscles with factor coenzyme-Q10 antioxidant, helps bone mineralization 6
Beet Greens
even more nutritious than the beet root, great source of fiber, protein, phosphorus, zinc, high in antioxidants, vitamin B6, A, C, K, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, calcium, iron, strengthens immune system, stimulates production of antibodies and white blood cells, strengthens bones, fights effects of free radicals in the body, cancer-fighting, fights heart disease, helps brain development and eyesight 7, great source of flavonoids B-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin which are strong antioxidant and anti-cancer properties 8
Tips for success.
- Eat healthy (non-refined) fats with your steamed and sauteed greens to properly absorb the fat-soluable vitamins in the greens, including vitamins A and K. So not only does it TASTE good, it’s good for you to pile on the butter and coconut oil. Yum! 9, 10
- Accompany your greens with a drink of citrus juice or a squeeze of lemon on top to help absorb iron. The vitamin C in citrus helps break down the iron into a form our bodies can better absorb , 11.
- I most-often use packaged pre-washed organic greens (combination of chard, kale, and spinach) that I find at Costco or Sprouts Market. I also use the tops of the beets I buy as well as rainbow chard (it’s so pretty).
- Variety is always good. Mix it up and try new greens you’ve not had before.
Steamed Greens You’ll Crave
Ok, this is how I like to prepare my greens. It’s so simple and easy you’ll wonder why I’m even including it here. But when I first started I had no idea how to prepare them. So here you go. Serving size: 1
Ingredients:
2 big handfuls of pre-washed greens.
⅓ cup water
1 T. butter
1 T. unrefined pure coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a pot with a lid, add the greens and water and cover.
- On medium low heat slowly steam the greens.
- After they are just past wilted, scoop the greens into a bowl, leaving as much liquid in the pot as possible.
- Top with butter and coconut oil
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Hey Friend! I hope you give these power greens a chance and try them out. You might love them like I do! If so you’ll have another favorite to add to your list of go-to vegetables to build health and wellness.
Which are your favorite greens? How do you like them best prepared? Please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you! Just think…your thoughts may be the very thing that inspires someone today to try greens for better health.
Hey Friend!
Grab your FREE printable Fruits & Veggie Tracker here!
I created this tracker to help me stay motivated and on track eating more fruits and vegetables each day. It’s really helped me and I hope it can help you too! You can grab it for FREE right here.
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Hey Friend!
Do you want to live life more abundantly?
You’re not alone. I’ve got great news for you. Watch the video for a virtual hug and words of encouragement from me. You’ve got this!
Yes! Please send the Abundance Toolkit to me.
Hey Friend, do you want more ABUNDANCE in your life? Start with the Abundance Toolkit.
The ABUNDANCE TOOLKIT can help you make the changes you want to live life more abundantly.
It’s my FREE gift to you. Just grab it here.
Yes! Please send the Abundance Toolkit to me.
The Abundant Toolkit is my gift to you when you sign up to receive inspirational notes from me in your inbox (don’t worry! I’ll only send great stuff and never send spam!). When you sign up you’ll have access to my private Gifts for You Collection here at my website where I keep the Abundance Toolkit and a whole lot of other awesome resources to help you live life more abundantly.
What’s in the Abundance Toolkit?
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13 page printable workbook.
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3 tools to help you identify and apply principles of abundance in your life right now.
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Questions to help you determine where you’re out of balance with abundance.
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Specific and personal actions you can take to live life more abundantly starting today.
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References:
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/swiss-chard#uses
- https://draxe.com/nutrition/swiss-chard-nutrition/
- https://draxe.com/nutrition/swiss-chard-nutrition/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale#section2
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/spinach#downsides
- https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-spinach.html
- https://foodfacts.mercola.com/beet-greens.html
- https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/beet-greens.html
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171009124026.htm
- https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106968683
- https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/7-food-pairings-will-increase-nutrient-absorption-ncna889181
