Are you getting enough dark green vegetables?

It’s a familiar refrain: “Eat your vegetables.”  You’ve heard it since childhood.  Now the message has become more specific:  “Eat your dark green leafy vegetables.”

You probably already know that this means to choose spinach salads over iceberg lettuce.  But how many servings of dark green leafy vegetables are you supposed to eat per day?  And more importantly…why?

Dark green leafy vegetables provide many essential vitamins and minerals your body needs, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium.  In addition, they are also a wonderful way to get the fiber your body needs. The darker the leaves, the more nutrients the vegetable usually has.

The current USDA Food Pyramid recommendation is that adults should consume about 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week, but many nutritional experts think that is low and recommend at least 5-9 servings per day.

Getting enough green vegetables? Probably not. TRY THIS GREEN DRINK - Click Here

So what are the best sources of dark leafy greens?

• Arugula tastes spicy and peppery.  It is rich in vitamins A, C, and calcium. You can use it in salads or add it into stir-fries, soups, and pasta sauces.
• Chicory is somewhat bitter, which is why it’s sometimes roasted and mixed in with coffee.  It is rich in vitamins K, C, and calcium. Mix chicory up with other greens in salads or add to soups and pasta sauces.
• Collard Greens taste similar to spinach.  They are particularly dense in vitamin A and calcium. Steam them lightly and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and tamari, or steam and add to a soup or stir-fry. You can also eat collard greens with vinegar and salt.
• Dandelion Greens are bitter and tangy tasting, and they grow in most people’s yards.  Harvest them in early spring or late fall when new growth is tender.  They are rich in vitamin A and calcium. Eat them in salads or lightly steam and dress with salad dressing.
• Kale is somewhat bitter and tastes a little like cabbage.  It’s rich in vitamins A, C, calcium, folic acid, and potassium. Eat lightly steamed, with salad dressing, or add to soups.
• Mustard Greens positively zing with hot, spicy flavor.  They contain lots of vitamins A and C and calcium. Enjoy them raw or lightly steamed in salads or in stir-fries and soups.
• Spinach is one of the sweetest-tasting and least bitter greens.  It’s rich in vitamin A, C, iron and calcium.  Make a spinach salad, or mix it in with other greens, or sauté it in a little olive oil and dress with the vinegar of your choice.
• Swiss Chard has a flavor similar to spinach—it’s very mild.  Swiss chard is rich in vitamins C, K, and calcium.  Eat it raw in salads, steam it, or add it to a stir-fry.

If all of this sounds like too much work, or you simply don’t have the time to prepare several servings of fresh, dark leafy greens every day, don’t despair—you can still get your greens.

EnergyFirst Greenergy is power-packed with the nutritional equivalent of 5 servings of vegetables in one small scoop.  Just stir it into pure water or an EnergyFirst Shake and you’ve taken care of your body’s daily need for dark leafy green vegetables.

Gerry Morton, CEO of EnergyFirst, holds an MS in Nutrition and is an experienced athlete who has competed in 25+ marathons and 4 Ironman triathlons.  Gerry is an excellent source of information on nutrition, supplementation and exercise.  Since 1997, he has been educating and motivating others on how to attain peak performance.