The Healthiest Leafy Green--And How to Eat It
By Melinda Hershey, for SparkPeople
We all know it's a good idea to eat leafy green veggies. They're chock-full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, and they're low in calories to boot. But if you can only stomach so much green in your life, which leafy green should you choose for the maximum nutritional benefits: Spinach, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, or collard greens?
The Winner: Kale!
Dietitians and other health professionals have been telling us to eat more kale for years-and for good reason! Although the other leafy greens we mentioned still boast impressive nutritional profiles, kale clearly takes the cake. Check out how kale stacks up against the other greens on the list when comparing several key nutrients. (All nutritional information is for one cup of raw greens. The percentages are for the recommended daily value (% DV) of each nutrient.)
Type of Green | Calories | Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Vitamin K | Calcium | Iron | Manganese |
Collard Greens | 11 | 48% | 21% | 230% | 5% | 0% | 5% |
Kale | 33 | 206% | 134% | 684% | 9% | 6% | 26% |
Mustard Greens | 15 | 118% | 65% | 384% | 6% | 5% | 13% |
Spinach | 7 | 56% | 14% | 181% | 3% | 5% | 13% |
Swiss Chard | 7 | 44% | 18% | 374% | 2% | 4% | 7% |
Kale can take some getting used to at first-it's tough to chew and just tastes, well, green. However, when prepared correctly, you'll fall in love with it! Here are a couple of ways to try it out:
Easy Massaged Kale Salad: Wash and rinse about half a bunch of kale and rip it into a bowl. Add half an avocado, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to taste (or any other seasonings you'd like). Massage in the avocado and lemon juice until the kale wilts and is fully coated.
Kale Smoothie: Simply add about half a cup of kale to your favorite smoothie for a boost of vitamins and minerals. You won't even taste it-we promise!
Do you eat kale? What's your favorite way to prepare it?
Related links:
15 Kale Recipes You'll Actually Eat
11 Dark Leafy Vegetable Recipes
Fabulous Fall Salads
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