Table Of Contents show

Get your greens on!

You know greens are good for you.

Your mom told you to eat your broccoli.

Popeye sold you spinach.

And green smoothies are the next big thing since sliced bread (or bone broth).

BUT…What the heck does eating “more green veggies” really mean?

And why are greens so “good in the first place?”

Here’s why you should really “get your greens on” (plus 12 amazing ways to do it)

EAT MORE GREENS

The reason WHY we should eat more greens isn’t just “because they are good for you,” but because they provide your body with a nutrient-profile incomparable to many other foods.

Greens—especially dark, rich leafy greens— are the BIGGEST powerhouses when it comes to nutrients, fiber, digestion and energy of arguably any other veggie.

When you hear the advice to “eat more greens,” generally, that phrase means “leaves.” So things like:

Kale
Chard
Lettuce
Mustard
Collards
Parsley
Spinach
Beet greens
Sweet potato leaves
Arugula
Baby greens
Endive

Leafy greens are oaded with Vitamins A, C, K, D, E, antioxidants (that fight free radicals) and minerals like Iron, Calcium, Folate and Magnesium.

These leaves put water-based veggies—like cucumbers and celery, FODMAPs like broccoli and Brussels Sprouts, and starches like potatoes and squashes to shame (in terms of nutrient density).

In addition, leafy greens are one of the most easily-digested foods for the body—and help us digest our other foods too (for instance: fiber helps carry the proteins we eat for instance through the digestive tract).

That said, GREEN VEGGIES of all kinds still do a body good.

(No need to write off broccoli!).

Green veggies are generally lower in sugar and also contain fiber to assist in digestion.

Some other sources of green veggies (aside from leafy greens) include:

Zucchini Squash
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Asparagus
Cucumbers
Celery
Artichokes
Leeks
Fennel
Green Beans
Green Bell Pepper

HOW DO I MAKE THEM?

Just like there is more than one way to “do a squat” (back squat, front squat, overhead squat, goblet squat, etc.), there’s more than one way to prepare veggies.

While some vegetables might be more nutritious raw, and it’s great to vary your veggies in both raw and cooked forms, from a digestive standpoint, most vegetables do better when cooked.

Cooking helps break down tough fibers to ease the load on your digestion and make the nutrients more bio-available to your cells.

Couple cooked veggies with a little bit of healthy fat, like olive oil, ghee, butter, coconut butter, coconut oil, avocado or avocado oil, and the fat helps the nutrients in veggies get better absorbed.

Win. Win.