Loving the Green!

by the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center Dietetics and Healthy Living Team

Not St. Patrick’s Day gold, not cash… the “green” in dark leafy green vegetables is where it’s at!

Are you looking for a boost of energy or a new vegetable to taste? Dark leafy greens are a golden choice: collards, kale, spinach, chard, turnips, mustard, and arugula. Can you name more? Consider exploring outside the grocery store!

Outdoors, edible wild greens are often mislabeled as weeds. With the help of a field guide to edible plants or an experienced person, one can find nettles,  dandelions, lamb’s quarters, chickweed, and fireweed shoots, to name a few. Each with its unique flavor and phytonutrient gifts to support vitality.

Vitamins and minerals are often much higher in wild greens than cultivated greens. For example, spinach has about 100 miligrams of calcium per cup, whereas  nettles can be double that, with some reports showing 2500 miligrams! A little can go a long way. Mineral content in plants depends on soil quality, which is a reminder to practice wild harvesting from land that is free from pesticides, herbicides and other toxins.

Wild greens can be nibbled along a walk or hike. A sprinkle of wild greens brings color and fun tastes to a fresh salad or warm soup. A dollop of wild greens pesto airs well with grilled fish, a recipe featured in this month’s cooking demo!

Dark leafy greens, and especially edible wild greens, are treasure. With their beneficial bit of bitterness comes a bounty of magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, C, K1, folate, and many other phytonutrients to support vitality and longevity in each of us.

This article comes to you from the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center Dietetics and Healthy Living Team

Please reach out to one of our Lifestyle Coaches for lifestyle and nutrition support, or join one of the Diabetes Prevention Program groups!

April Gilliom: (541) 672-8533, ext. 5226