Switch up your greens - Health Food

Dear readers,

welcome to the 4th day of 2013! How has your year been so far? Have you already accomplished one of your NY's resolutions? Like...getting back into your healthy diet routine, for example?

I am pretty sure you have...so what I thought about this morning when I was fixing my lunch break sandwich and building it up with tomatoes and salad was that I had somehow seen this salad too often in my life. Not these 2 particular leaves obviously, but this type of salad! Boring! And as I looked outside the window where rain was pouring down on the huge diversity of green we have around here I thought why not create a small jungle even on our sandwiches and in our salads? 

There are so many greens around with each of them providing a high number of benefits - let's use them! They grow them anyway, so let's also consume them!

Let's see what we have...

1. Baby spinach
Make sure the leaves are really tender and fresh, otherwise they tend to be quite bitter. 
What does it have?
It is packed with vitamins and minerals, let me just point out that is is very high in Vitamin K (essential for your bones) and in beta-carotene. Yes, that is the stuff for the eyes. Apart from that, baby spinach is high in antioxidants. 

2. Radicchio
What does it have? 
I am a big fan of this red leafy vegetable as it peps up any salad with its bitter taste, which adds a nice twist to other dishes as well. I have already grilled it and boiled it. It is jam packed with antioxidants and contains folic acid and the important selenium.





3. Butter lettuce

What does it have?
First of all it comes with this wonderful, nearly sensual texture. Further, it is an excellent source of Vitamin K and contains mildly anti-inflammatory agents. 






4. Arugula
What does it have?
Arugula comes in the well known form of Rucola, but is also available in the form you can see on the left side with more tender and less bitter leaves. 
It promotes eye health through a high content of Vitamin A, as well as Vitamin K and a good package of folate. Arugula is also a vegan source of iron. 
 


5. Watercress
What does it have? 
 I love watercress, it is on all my sandwiches and in all my salads. The fresh, crispy, slightly sour taste adds a nice twist, plus it is packed with nutrients. It is considered a superfood due to its extremely high content of antioxidants. Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and C and can lower cancer risk. 








 

6. Tatsoi
What does it have?
And here comes the most exotic lettuce. Look out for small, tender leaves, the thick leaves can have a bitter, slightly metallic taste. 
It is rich in phytonutrients and comes with Vitamin K. 

  


Enjoy a new world of greens in your kitchen!