Leafy green nutrition -
Kale may be trendy, but is it really the most nutritious leafy green? Here, we grade greens from the absolute best for your health to the nutritionally blah.
Planning to enjoy a healthy salad today? Select the right greens to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. These frequently lauded vegetables have been linked to a number of health benefits.
In particular, research has found that leafy greens are one of the top sources of dietary nitrates, compounds that bring heart benefits. In one study , Danish researchers analyzed data from more than 50, people over a year period and found that people who ate just one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables a day had up to a 26 percent lower risk of heart disease.
Another study found that people who ate 1 cup of nitrate-rich vegetables a day had significantly stronger muscle function in their lower limbs and walked an average of 4 percent faster than people with the lowest nitrate intake, independent of their physical activity levels.
While nearly all salad greens have some health benefits to offer, they can differ somewhat in the type and amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals they contain, says Kelly Kennedy, RDN , the staff nutritionist for Everyday Health. Getting a variety of leafy greens in your diet is a good strategy to take advantage of the health benefits they have to offer, but in general, the darker the leaf, the more nutrients it contains.
Kale is a trendy green for a reason — according to the U. Department of Agriculture USDA , just 1 cup of cooked kale meets 19 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A, which helps maintain good vision, a healthy immune system and reproductive system, and proper functioning of the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
While slightly higher in calories than other greens, cooked kale provides about 14 percent of your daily requirement of calcium, which is essential for building and maintaining strong bones. Kale also pairs well with roasted squash, nuts, seeds, and beans.
While subtle in flavor, spinach is anything but subtle when it comes to nutrition. And the deep, vibrant color of spinach hints at its healthy nutritional profile: 1 cup has 16 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin A, and all your daily vitamin K, according to the USDA.
Cooked spinach also contains more folate than most salad greens, according to Kennedy, which helps convert the food you eat into energy and produces healthy red and white blood cells, according to the ODS.
Pair spinach with strawberries, balsamic, and a sprinkle of feta cheese for a flavor-packed salad. While it does have a higher sodium count than other salad greens at 77 milligrams [mg] per cup, it still is just 3 percent of the maximum recommended daily amount , it also has more than double your daily requirement of vitamin K, 12 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin A, and 12 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, per the USDA.
Consider combining chard with a few other greens to make your own mix. One cup of mustard greens gives you almost half of your daily requirement of vitamin C, all your daily vitamin K, as well as some folate, per the USDA. Collard greens have all your daily vitamin K. Collard greens take longer to cook than other greens but are worth the wait!
They taste great raw, too. Popular in Europe, this salad green is often used in the United States as a mere garnish. Two cups of romaine fulfill about 30 percent of your daily vitamin A, and nearly three-quarters of your vitamin K, per the USDA.
To boost the nutritional value of your salad, mix romaine with some spinach or kale to pack in more antioxidants, or opt for a premixed blend. Leaf lettuce, whether red or green, looks bright and cheerful on your plate and has a mild taste, making it a great choice for children and picky eaters.
Just 2 cups of green leaf lettuce gives you about 30 percent of your daily vitamin A, says the USDA. Butter lettuce — including both Bibb and Boston varieties — has a soft, buttery texture and a slightly sweet flavor.
The USDA indicates that butter lettuce is low in sodium and has 10 percent of the vitamin A you need in a day. Endive leaves are another good source of folate, with 1 cup fulfilling about 18 percent of your daily requirement, per the USDA. For example, romaine has nine times more vitamin A than iceberg lettuce.
According to the USDA, the average adult should be consuming around two to three cups of vegetables per day. When it comes to getting enough dark leafy greens in your diet, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to options.
Prefer your veggies crunchy? Try crisping up some kale. Prefer salads? Grab some arugula. Kale, which has soared in popularity in recent years, is a curly, leafy member of the cabbage family.
A favorite of Popeye, spinach is a green flowering plant. Collard greens are the large, flat green leaves of the collard vegetable, which is closely related to cabbage and broccoli. They have a rich history in the south of the US, as they were one of the only vegetables that enslaved people could grow for themselves.
The leafy green is incredibly nutrient-dense and contains calcium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, and potassium. Closely related to beetroot, Swiss Chard is a large vegetable with big green leaves and a thick stalk.
The taste is earthy and almost nutty, which makes it a great vegetable to saute and serve with dishes like pasta or stir fry, or serve on the side with some vegan steak.
Bok choy, which can also be referred to as pak choi, is a type of Chinese cabbage. Sure, you can eat dark leafy greens as they are, or with a little bit of seasoning. Here are some of our favorite ways to cook or prepare dark leafy greens. Hannah Kaminsky. We get it, not everyone likes the texture of greens.
Blend them up with your favorite vegan milk and some tasty bananas. Get the recipe. Sushi is a great way to pack in loads of vegetables and enjoy them in tasty bite-sized pieces. Store pre-cut and packaged greens and salads in the refrigerator at a temp that is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Popular Nutrition Posts All Time This Week {position} Detox Your Liver: A 6-Step Liver Cleanse. More Nutrition Dr. Axe on Facebook 82 Dr. Axe on Twitter 4 Dr. Axe on Instagram Dr. Axe on Google Plus Dr. Axe on Youtube Dr.
Axe on Pintrest 68 Share on Email Print Article Your heart plays a crucial role in your health. Axe on Facebook 14 Dr. Axe on Twitter 22 Dr. Axe on Pintrest Share on Email Print Article Most couples, at some point in their relationships, will deal with issues Axe on Facebook Dr.
Axe on Twitter 5 Dr. Axe on Facebook 22 Dr. Axe on Pintrest 0 Share on Email Print Article
Leafy grefn vegetables such as kale, spinach, Swiss chard, Berry Decor Ideas bok gteen are high in Healthy fat loss, nufrition, Healthy fat loss fiber. Adding a variety of greens to your Leafu may help boost brain health and nutritin your risk of heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure. Leafy green vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Eating a diet rich in leafy greens can offer numerous health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline 1. Kale is considered one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables on the planet due to its many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It also contains antioxidants such as lutein and beta-carotene, which reduce the risk of diseases caused by oxidative stress 3. Leafy green vegetables are an important hreen of a healthy diet. Eating nutritipn diet rich in leafy greens can Healthy fat loss numerous health Leafy green nutrition including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, Healthy fat loss blood pressure Leaafy mental Lafy 1. Kale is considered one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables on the planet due to its many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. For example, one cup 67 grams of raw kale packs percent of the Daily Value DV for vitamin K, percent of the DV for vitamin A and percent of the DV for vitamin C 2. It also contains antioxidants such as lutein, carotenoids and beta-carotene, which prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress 3.
0 thoughts on “Leafy green nutrition”