You already know that eating greens is good for you. Ranked by organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cleveland Clinic as nutritional powerhouses, leafy greens are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. But when it comes to adding more greens to your diet, what you might not know is that eating salad isn't the only way to be successful. The truth is that there are plenty of fun, flavorful options for eating greens more often—from green drinks to savory pesto. Here are five ideas to inspire you:
Green Drinks
Start your morning right by drinking some greens. You can whip up a custom green smoothie that's tweaked to your liking, or you can blend up a refreshing ginger greens juice made of cucumbers, celery, apples, and kale. Either way, by working greens into your morning beverage, you can get a jump start on your daily nutrition intake.
Roasted Chips
Take your favorite greens, rub them with oil, place them in a single layer on baking sheets, and top them with salt and pepper. Roast the greens until they're crisp and then enjoy. You've just made some highly addictive homemade green chips. Perfect your kale chips with a few additional tips from Oh She Glows.
Pesto
Combine greens with cheese, nuts, and olive oil to create flavorful pesto sauce that has plenty of possibilities. Whether you opt for a parsley spinach pesto or a roasted red pepper and kale pesto, you'll be able to create a sauce or spread that's perfect for sandwiches, pizza, pasta, salad dressing, and more.
Entree Accessories
Whether you're making soup, a sandwich, an omelet, or pasta, you can boost your daily greens by adding them to your dishes. Use greens in your morning eggs, throw them on top of a grilled cheese sandwich, lay them on top of your burger, or add them to tacos. Whether you're eating greens that are cooked in a hearty soup or mixed into a creamy pasta dish, you may be surprised by how many ways greens can enhance a meal.
Sauteed Greens
If all else fails, return to a classic. It doesn't matter whether you're talking about kale, spinach, beet greens, or Swiss chard, if you have dark and leafy greens that you're wondering how to cook, try sauteing them in olive oil and garlic until they're soft. Use cooked greens alongside an entree, placed atop toast, or eaten on its own.
So when it comes to upping your intake of greens, give yourself the freedom to get a little creative. Get inspired by the five ideas above, and you'll have plenty of tasty, healthy options to guide you in incorporating more greens into your diet.
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