Leafy Green Vegetables

We should all be eating more leafy green vegetables, we know this, it's drummed into most of us from a very young age. So why? In that case, don't we eat enough leafy green vegetables? This we can't answer, but what we can do is explain more about why they are good for us and which ones to keep a special eye out for.

With different cooking methods from around the world, like stir frying and flash frying becoming more commonplace in our homes, there are new ways to prepare green leafy vegetables to make them more appealing for adults and children alike.

List of Green Vegetables

Straight out the trap here's a list of green vegetables together along with some information about each one. These are not in any order of nutritional value:

• Water Spinach - known as 'ong choy' in China, 'pak boong' or 'morning glory' in Thailand, usually served flash fried or stir-fried with chilli, garlic, fish sauce, and seasonings, it is a very simple and extremely tasty dish. High in vitamin A & B6 as well as a whole host of mineral compounds. Studies have proved it has blood sugar-lowering qualities.
• Chinese Cabbage – known as 'bok choy' or 'pak choy' it's a staple in Eastern cooking, easily stir-fried or added to soups and salads raw. One serving provides us with 100% of our vitamin A RDA and 60% of our vitamin C, as well as good helpings of iron & magnesium.
• Broccoli – needs no introduction, we all know how good it is for us. Try tossing it with finely chopped garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper, and then roasting it for 20 mins. A very balanced and complete green leafy vegetable, it contains high levels of vitamin C and lots of fiber, as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals, this makes it one of the most nutritious of all the green vegetables.
• Iceberg lettuce – commonly known as just lettuce, a versatile green leafy vegetable, great in salads or as a garnish. Some are concerned about its lack of nutrients and low calories, but iceberg can hold its own in the nutrition department, a 100g serving clocks up the following:
  • 20% (RDA) vitamin K
  • 148% (RDA) vitamin A
  • 15% vitamin
• Kale – a leafy green vegetable that stands toe to toe with any other in the nutritional ring. There are many different varieties and all with similar nutritional goodness. An everyday staple in the East and Orient, kale is versatile and delicious; boiled, baked, or stir-fried. Kale has been mooted in a few corners as 'the world's healthiest vegetable'. A 100 grams packs 200% of our RDA for both vitamin A & C, as well as good quantities of vitamin B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and proteins.

Other great leafy green vegetables that are readily available and good for us are:

• sprouts
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Radicchio
• Sea Kale
• Cress
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Ceylon Spinach
• Collard Greens

This isn't a conclusive list and we will be writing more about the vegetables listed above and more in coming articles.

Dark Green Vegetables

Dark green vegetables are another category of veg over and above 'standard' vegetables, the nutritional properties of the darker green veg tend to vary slightly. They tend to have a couple of extra nutrients that are derived from their darker colour, which is caused by an abundance of chlorophyll.

A List of Dark Green Vegetables

Here is a list of vegetables that are considered dark green vegetables, however, this again isn't a conclusive list.

• Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Broccoli
• Collard Greens
• Spinach

Dark green vegetables contain lots of great vitamins and minerals. They also contain an abundance of other compounds such as:

• Carotenoids - an antioxidant which helps the body fight free radicals, protect cells, and can block the early stages of cancer.
• Vitamin K – helps build strong bones and protects against diseases such as osteoporosis & inflammatory diseases.
• Folate or folic acid – helps the heart stay strong and fight disease, prevents certain birth defects, and aids DNA duplication, which is necessary for the body to prevent cancer from forming, especially in the breasts, lungs, cervix, and colon.

Because of the high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that dark green leafy vegetables have, they are accredited with being the best food for cancer and heart disease prevention.

So tuck in...