Add more Greens Into Your Dishes (Secretly)
Leafy greens are so important for our body. They contain vitamin K, a vitamin important for blood clotting and works with vitamin D and calcium for bone health. Greens also contain vitamin C, manganese, vitamin A, riboflavin and of course, fiber. All of these nutrients are very commonly deficient in our system due to our unfortunate common diet (fast, processed food). Most people think of leaves such as kale, lettuce, collard greens, swiss chard, and spinach but I also like to include cilantro, brussels sprouts and broccoli to this list because these vegetables are extremely dense in the same nutrients as leafy greens and are more versatile in my kitchen as say, the bitterness of swiss chard.
Here are some methods I use to incorporate more greens into my dishes that are super easy, fuss-free, and usually, you can't even taste the addition. Great for those picky eaters (children and adults alike!) who struggle getting their green nutrients.
Buy fresh kale or spinach at the store and chop it into fine pieces after washing. Dry and store in the freezer for easy grab-and cook method. Add a handful of kale to any pasta dish you make. It goes unnoticed in red sauce, white sauce, lasagna, stuffed pasta and so on. It's flavorless, adds a little colorful punch to the dish and even the pickiest of eaters won't know it's there! Our pastas always are incorporated with chopped kale.
Add chopped kale or spinach to your meatball mixture. It won't affect the taste or the texture and it's hidden in plain view.
Don't be afraid to add chunks of broccoli to pasta either. Surprising, broccoli in pasta, especially in a while sauce pasta is magnificent.
Roasted vegetables using sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Toss with garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper for an easy oven side dish. I love brussels sprouts roasted, grilled and sauteed. Steaming and boiling them are inedible for me.
When making a burrito bowl filled with rice, beans and meat, add a bit of lettuce to the top. If you aren't fond of green foods, start by adding one leaf of lettuce, chopped to the top of your burrito bowl. It won't provide much flavor or calories but it will provide a negligible amount of nutrients. Even small amounts of nutrients does a body better than no nutrients!
Add cilantro to every Mexican dish you eat: quesadillas, burritos, tacos, you name it, you add it! Cilantro is a powerhouse food and helps eliminate heavy metals from your system while providing vitamin K, C, and B vitamins. If you are one of the lucky ones who can eat cilantro without it tasting like soap, pile it on baby! Buy a bunch at the market on Monday and make sure you eat all of it by the end of the week. Cilantro is my favorite way to add greens to my diet. I even add it to Indian dishes or pulled beef recipes for an added crisp taste to the heavy dish. It's great on pizzas, too!
Add chopped greens to all soups you make: Italian, potato, chicken noodle, vegetable, tortilla, you name the soup, you add a handful of chopped greens!
Some people add leafy greens to smoothies, I don't prefer that method but I would suggest kale over spinach, again, for the more mild taste kale offers. You can even add a dash of chopped greens to your morning eggs or omelets. Chili is also a good dish to incorporate a handful of chopped kale. Kale in chili isn't very authentic however, if you are looking for ways to sneak some vitamins in, chili can be your avenue, too! Don't forget to top that chili with cilantro! Some people in the past mentioned they've added greens to brownies. I've never done that but if it sounds intriguing, go for it.
Don't be afraid to experiment! Just add more greens!