Know Your Leafy Greens

Doctors and scientists have long since known the advantages of eating leafy greens. It seems
like every time I turn around, I am learning something new about their health benefits. Did you know
they’re a great source of calcium? They’re also a great source of omega-3s which keep our heart and
blood vessels healthy, and decrease pain and inflammation. Cabbage, Kale, Mustard Greens and Collard
Greens are in the cruciferous family , the most powerful cancer fighters that have shown to arrest
the growth of cancer cells!
All leafy greens are fat free and cholesterol free! They’re also low in calories; for example, 1 c.
spinach has 14 calories and 1/2 c cooked collard greens has 38 calories. Here's a run down on some
popular greens. To get more nutritional info on greens and other foods, visit: whfoods.com or cancerproject.
org.

Arugula: peppery/horseradish-like taste. Use as complement in salad, not as main green - too
strong. Cooks in seconds, and makes a nice addition to pasta dish or in salads and wraps.

Beet Greens: Don't discard the greens! Cut off the stems and steam the greens. If you add some
dried herbs to the water, this will enhance the greens with the flavor and aroma of herbs.

Belgian Endive: Good raw or sauteed. It loses bitterness the longer it's cooked.

Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage (Chinese cabbage): Each is fabulous in a stir-fry, and only takes a couple
minutes to cook, so add at the end of a stir-fry to retain veggies' crispness. Bok Choy is also used
in “Pressed Salad” from last month’s newsletter.

Collard Greens: Collards are rich in absorbable calcium. It needs a longer cooking time than most
greens because the leaves are thicker. They're great added to soups or stews or steamed and tossed
with garlic and balsamic vinegar. Also pairs wonderfully with yams and onions. “Zippy Yams and Collards”
from The Cancer Project is one of our favorites.

Dandelion Greens: High in calcium and beta-carotene. Saute in a little water or veggie broth. Add a
dash of tamari and some minced garlic. Dandelion greens are also popular in green smoothies.

Escarole: Has a bit of a nutty flavor. Great in soups and stews. My mother used to cook escarole in
water. Then she'd saute some chopped onion in olive oil (eeek - I use water or veg broth), and add to
escarole. Then she'd cut spaghetti in quarters and cook in the escarole water. Season with salt and
pepper. Add some veggie parmesan. Great with side salad. And healthy, too!

Kale: Kale is one of the healthiest foods we can eat - its cruciferous and packed with vitamins A, K &
C. Enjoy it raw, cooked or in-between. We enjoy it in our breakfast smoothies.

Mustard Greens: Partner with Asian ingredients - a bit of sesame oil, ginger, tamari and rice wine
vinegar.

Spinach: It's full of iron and wonderful antioxidants, but remember its calcium is not the absorbable
kind, so don't eat globs of it for calcium! You'll come up short. Spinach cooks in about 3-5 minutes.
We like it sautéed with garlic and green Tabasco sauce.

Swiss Chard: A jewel in my garden and 'the' green that the bugs avoid - thank goodness. Chard
comes in two varieties, red and white. Chard is good source of vitamins A and C, and iron. I use Chard
much in the same way I cook Kale. Can be used in salads, smoothies, wraps, and added to soups and
stews.

Watercress: Great addition to salads with its peppery taste.

Written in conjunction with Joanne Irwin of www.vegannana.com , an instructor in Cape Cod, MA.