Green Goodness

When you hear the term ‘healthy food’, the first ingredients to spring to mind are probably leafy green vegetables, the likes of kale and spinach, silverbeet and rocket. And for good reason — leafy greens are among the most nutritionally-dense foods on the planet. Raw, boiled or steamed, added to soup or tossed in a salad, the message from health professionals is to get leafy greens into your diet whenever and wherever you can.

Packed full of vitamins, a decent amount of minerals, high in fibre and low in calories, green leafy vegetables have an impressive nutritional profile. They even contain coveted omega three fatty acids. One cup of cooked spinach will give you a day’s worth of vitamin K and A; make it a cup of raw kale and you’ll also get your vitamin C quota. A serving of silverbeet or rocket will give you 20 percent of your daily iron and calcium needs.

Of the many health benefits to come from leafy greens, their anti-inflammatory properties might just be the best. Chronic inflammation seems to be one of those 21st century problems, the latest research revealing that inflammation in the body is related to a host of issues, from eczema to arthritis, cancer to IBS, and even stress and anxiety. Green leafy vegetables contain a number of healthful properties that help reduce inflammation including antioxidants, phytonutrients and omega threes.

To reach their nutritional potential, it’s a good idea to eat leafy greens with a fat like butter or cream, coconut or olive oil. This helps unlock the valuable fat-soluble vitamins that are otherwise inaccessible, which is a great excuse for Caesar salad if I’ve ever heard one! Also, include both raw and cooked green leafy vegetables in your diet, as heat increases the absorption of some nutrients while destroying others.

Many dark leafy greens are hardy enough to withstand cooler weather for much of the year. While spinach and silverbeet may need to head indoors for a few months, rocket and kale can grow in mild winter climates of New Zealand’s north, and frosts actually make kale leaves sweeter. All this to say, getting veggies into your diet in winter can be difficult, but you should never have to say goodbye to greens.

The challenge is not availability but boredom — steamed silverbeet or blanched spinach can get old fast — which is why you have to get a little creative with your green leafy vegetables. Add rocket to your breakfast — the original green eggs and ham! — blend kale into a smoothie or puree spinach with ginger, garlic and spices to recreate the delicious Indian dish palak paneer. Make silverbeet pesto, top a pizza with rocket or spinach, bake some zesty kale chips or experiment with savoury oatmeal.

With their nutritional superstar status and their incredible versatility, it’s time to start seeing the potential in your leafy greens. Crunchy, bitter, peppery or mild, pair them with lemon to reduce bitterness and salt to breakdown their cell walls, making them easier to chew. With these few tricks up your sleeve, there’s no reason you can’t have your greens and eat them too!

Rachel Hart Hailing from Canada, Rachel has fallen in love with life in the beautiful Bay of Plenty where she is a freelance writer with a passion for healthy food. She splits her time between telling people’s stories, creating web content and experimenting in the kitchen.

Written by Rachel Hart

Images by Sheryl Nicholson