Healthy Habits-Week 3 Eat More Green Vegetables

Eating more green vegetables are a great addition into your diet and is something your body will thank you for.

The positive benefits of eating green vegetables are numerous. Some key things to know is that they are low in calories, (my favorite thing about them) are high in fiber and vitamins and keep you satisfied.

With the opportunity of an array of fresh green vegetables available at most supermarkets, local farmers markets and gourmet grocery stores, you'll discover LOTS of options.

Some common ones are kale, collard greens, broccoli & spinach. But venture out of your comfort zone to try other green vegetables you may have not tried.

Here are some of my favorite "not so common"  green vegetables that I enjoy and hope you will seek out to explore.

Indian Okra  
In Indian cuisine, okra is used quite frequently. This okra is more long and slender than traditional okra but equally delicious! In Indian cuisine similar to southern  cuisine, where it is cut and dusted with cornmeal, the okra is sliced really thin, seasoned with spices and dusted with chickpea flour and then fried in oil. To make it lighter, you can just bake in the oven.

Bok Choy
Has a crunchy texture and high water content. Can be slightly cooked or eaten raw. Great for stir frys!

Baby Kale 
This variety of kale is a good choice for folks who don't care for the tougher leaves of traditional kale. Baby kale is more tender in texture. Great for salads and other cooking applications.

Watercress
A delicious tender green with a slight peppery taste, that grows in natural spring water. You can make the popular watercress soup or use simply as a different variety of greens when making salads

Broccoli Leaves
Yes, these are the leaves of broccoli that you can enjoy eating. Very similar tasting to southern collard greens, except these tend to cook quicker and are more tender. 

Now if you are not a fan of eating vegetables, especially green ones on their own, start with small steps such as using in smoothies, adding into scrambled eggs, adding into a Chinese stir fry, or into soups.

Also, if you want to get green but don't think you will use a good amount right away, just use frozen green vegetables for convenience.

So with this short information on going green with vegetables, I challenge you to incorporate eating something green at least once a day and increasing to at least twice a day for better health.

Post your comments below if you have already tried any of the specialty greens I've listed and how you prepare them. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Eat good, look good, feel good!
​Chef Vanessa