When it comes to the best super food, green leafy vegetables top the list. Unfortunately, these are the foods most commonly missing from the average American diet. This is turning into a real problem for people, because they are also essential to building and maintaining good health.
Many people assume they don’t or won’t like greens, but the great thing to remember is there’s a really wide variety to choose from. They come in just about every flavor from sweet to bitter and peppery to earthy, which means there is powerful leafy green super food out there for every set of taste buds.
Green Food
Green food has tons of health benefits. Below are 10 reasons to add more leafy green vegetables to your diet and a great recipe to get you started.
- Cancer prevention
- Strengthened immune system
- Improved circulation
- Improved liver, gall bladder, and kidney function
- Clearing out congestion, especially in the lungs, by reducing mucus (important for allergy season and cold and flu season)
- Strengthen and purify the blood
- Highly alkaline – helps our bodies handle and filter out pollution
- High in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E and K
- Loaded with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll along with many other micronutrients and phytochemicals our bodies need to grow and heal
- Contain a lot of water, which helps to keep us hydrated, aids in digestion, and contributes to naturally beautiful skin and hair
Tip: The vitamins in leafy green vegetables are fat-soluble, which means you should prepare them with a healthy fat source to ensure the best vitamin absorption. Try olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado.
Super Food Recipes: The Ultimate Dinner Salad
Super food recipes are becoming more and more popular. You’ll love how great this tastes, plus how full and guilt-free you feel after eating it. I encourage you to make this several nights a week with dinner to easily add more greens to your diet.
- 1 bunch of kale or spinach, washed and chopped
- 1 head of romaine, washed and chopped
- 1 cup of watercress, washed
- ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
- ½ a red bell pepper, diced
- ½ a yellow bell pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup of Eden’s Red Wine Vinegar (this is the key to this salad’s flavor, I buy it at Whole Foods for around $3.50)
- Sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste
- Wash and chop your leafy greens and other veggies and toss them in a bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and Eden’s Red Wine Vinegar. (This specific vinegar is the perfect flavor for this combination of veggies.)
- Season with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
- Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed. (We eat this salad at least three nights a week and everyone in our family loves it!)
Do you want to incorporate more of the best super foods into your diet? What’s your favorite leafy green?
Article and recipe by Faithful Provisions contributor Calie Shackleford.
