Are You Eating These Greens & Weeds? You Should Be!

We have all heard it over and over again from our grandparents, parents, hopefully our doctor and nutritionists “Eat your greens!” Well there is a reason for that. But we need a variety of greens not just one or two. And they are not just for salads. Apparently the “Blue Zones” regions around the world rely on greens as the majority of their diets. There are more than 150 varieties and we typically only eat 3-4 of these. Eating a cup of greens daily seemed to be one of the keys to a longer life in Ikaria. These greens are full of vitamins and minerals like carotenoids that are body converts into Vitamin A, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium. Yes, I said calcium. All these are very beneficial to those with thyroid problems. The thyroid needs all these minerals to work properly and by adding these into your daily diet you can benefit your thyroid health.

Ok so let’s take a look at a few of these greens we can find in our local grocer or farmers market.

Arugula

Arugula is a spicy green that mixes well with other greens. It’s kind of peppery and makes a wonderful pesto This cruciferous veggie is a great source for vitamin A and folate. You can eat it cooked or raw

Collard Greens

Collard greens are a great way to lower cholesterol and are known for their cancer-fighting properties. They are rich in vitamins A, C, K, and calcium. You can boil them in chicken broth, sauté them with onions and garlic or even use them to make a breadless sandwich. I prefer them boiled in chicken broth personally. I use red leaf lettuce to make breadless sandwiches. But that’s just my personal opinion. The collard greens would hold up better because it is such a sturdy green. I just prefer the taste of the red leaf lettuce.

Dandelion Greens

How many times have you stepped over these beauties or worse, used pesticide to kill them? These are the dandelion greens you might find in your yard or the sidewalk. They are NOT A WEED they ARE FOOD. Ok now that we have that covered. They are a bit peppery and bitter; however, they do go very well in a salad along with spinach, butter lettuce, and red leaf lettuce. They kinda add a little kick to your salad. They are so good for you too. They are a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc, plus B vitamins and vitamins A, C, and D. They’ve also been used to support healthy kidney and liver function. My mom used to purchase dandelion pills to use as a natural diuretic, and to reduce bloating. If your gonna go on a foraging expedition, make sure you know the ground your picking you greens from. Don’t pick the ones that could have possibly been sprayed with pesticides. Your best bet is to grow them yourself in your own organic garden. You can buy the seeds online. Thankfully, people stopped seeing this wonderful green as a weed. I want to grow onion grass in my yard; unfortunately, people still see this as a weed and only sell pesticides to kill it, not grow it. ☹

Mizuna

What the heck is mizuna? I have only recently discovered this jam packed vitamin C green. It is a Japanese mustard green often found in baby green mixes. It has a milder taste than the dandelion but still a strong flavor. I heard many say it’s like a cross between kale and arugula. I’ve always eaten it along other greens and have quite enjoyed the flavor. Use it raw in salads, or chop it and stir into any soup, stew, or tofu scramble. I like it in salads, but I also throw it into Vietnamese Pho.

Rainbow Chard

One of my all-time favs. I just love chard. Ok, I love most all greens, chard just happens to be one that I buy a lot. Rainbow chard contains a unique set of phytonutrients and antioxidants, thanks to its multicolored stems and veins and it is loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, plus magnesium. It’s family tree includes the beets and believe it or not quinoa. You just boil these guys in chicken broth just like the collard greens or mustard greens. They taste great and I just love that they are so colorful that it makes it fun to eat. You can also remove the leaves from the stems and use the leaves like you would spinach. Sauté the stems with onions in soups or stews. The stems can also be used as a good healthy snack when stuffed with hummus.

Mâche

Mâche, also called lamb’s lettuce, is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. It is very velvety with a tender with a nutty flavor and this wonderful green veggie goes deliciously in a salad with other greens.

Try adding mâche to your smoothie, Yum.

Nettles

Now who would have ever considered eating the plant that stings you on those summer days hiking in the woods or running those dirt trails. I know I would never considered putting something in my mouth stat stung the fire out of my bare legs as I passed by too closely. But thankfully someone did and come to find out, it’s a superfood. One cup contains 7 calories, 2 grams of protein, and 6 grams of dietary fiber and provides 8 percent of your daily iron. That’s twice as much as a cup of spinach! To top it off it offers 42 percent of your daily calcium. Plus, they contain vitamin C, which helps you absorb iron. Can anyone say, “thyroid booster?” When you cook these, it takes out the sting; but wear gloves when you collect and when you prepare them. Just boil them the way you would kale, mustard greens, collard greens, etc. You get the idea. They can be found in many farmers markets or at co-ops in the spring. For those foraging friends of mine, (especially those new to foraging) be careful, know your area and the ground they are growing in. No one wants pesticides in their food. For a great after wok-out carb loading meal toss some with pasta, lemon juice and zest, and cashew cream. You could also add them to soups, especially Vietnamese Pho.

Turnip Greens

Turnip greens are the calcium superhorse of greens almost 20 percent of your daily value per cup. Some people think these are a bit bitter, me personally, I love these guys, especially with salt, pepper, a little butter, and a few splashes of Trappy’s Hot Peppers in Vinegar Juice. Just the way my Paw-Paw used to make them. Apparently, it’s the high calcium content that causes the bitter taste. I had no idea calcium was bitter, I’ve never had it alone. Cook them the same as your other greens. My personal fav is to cook them in chicken broth and a few green onions and maybe some Zoës Kitchen spice of life seasoning. If you don’t have a Zoës Kitchen near you, you can substitute with some oregano, parsley and garlic.

Until next time. Happy Eating Guys!

Stacia

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