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Fresh greens are marvelous! They are good in salads and on sandwiches,
and they are also great cooked as an accompaniment for beef, chicken, or
fish.
·
1 cup of fresh
spinach contains 7 calories and it is high niacin and zinc, and very high in
fiber, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin,
thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.
If you choose to cook it, don’t load it up with fat and salt.
·
1 cup of fresh
raw turnip greens contains 18 calories.
This amount of greens will not add calories merely by cooking, but the
tendency is to add bacon grease or butter and eat it with cornbread. Beware—you have added many calories. Turnip greens are high in iron, riboflavin,
thiamine, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamine, and very high in
calcium, dietary fiber, manganese, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin
B6. Remember that cooking doesn’t add
calories, but the greens wilt and become less filling. A cup of cooked greens has 29 calories. And the tendency to add salt and seasonings
may change the health benefits.
·
1 cup of
mustard greens contains 15 calories.
They have a spicier flavor than turnip greens and they give a new
experience when mixed with other greens. They are high in niacin and phosphorus, and
very high in calcium, dietary fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium,
riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.
There are many other types of
greens, but they have similar nutrients and benefits. You may add them to noodles, casseroles, or
soup or eat them fresh. The nutrient
value alone is reason enough to add them to your diet.
Remember that they are fresh and
will not stay that way for extended periods in the crisper. When you have eaten all you want of them raw,
do a quick steam or microwave them for 90 seconds, and you have reduced the
amount significantly without losing the nutrition. And they are plentiful in the grocery store!
