It’s time to go green – with your diet

St. Joseph’s Hospital clinical dietitian offers eight ways to get more green vegetables into your meals

Each St. Patrick’s Day, we all are excited to go green – in the way we dress, greening our fountains and even our beer. But something you should do year round – eat your green veggies.

“All vegetables have micronutrients, however, green leafy vegetables tend to have a large variety of micronutrients,” says Andrea Manley, clinical dietitian at St. Joseph’s Hospital. “Green leafy veggies also are high in insoluble fiber, which aid in regularity and help support weight management by keeping you satiated longer than foods without fiber.”

Some of the micronutrients – also referred to as vitamins and minerals – found in green vegetables are vitamin B2/riboflavin, vitamin B6/pyridoxine, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, biotin, pantothenic acid, calcium and iron. Just a few examples of green vegetables you should consider in your diet are:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Collard, mustard and turnip greens
• Broccoli
• Cabbage/Brussels sprouts
• Bok Choy
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Peas

Is one better than the other?

“Green leafy vegetables are much higher in micronutrients than say a pea; however, all green vegetables are important as they each contain different phytochemicals that may prevent disease risk,” Manley says.

So how do I eat more?

Manley offers these eight ways to get more green vegetables into your diet:

1. Try a new green vegetable each week.
2. Cook them in different ways, such as sautéing greens with garlic or herbs or asparagus sautéed with seasoning.
3. Add green vegetables, such as spinach or zucchini, to your pasta sauces.
4. Sauté broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens or Bok Choy into your next omelet.
5. Use any of those vegetables in your next stir fry, combining with pasta and olive oil after sautéing.
6. Add greens to your smoothie or juice.
7. Add more vegetables to your salad – cut up green beans to add a nice crunch.
8. Use a low-fat dip or salad dressing with broccoli – the kids will love it.

It’s OK to be colorful

Green is just one color on the vegetable rainbow, Manley reminds us. While they contain a variety of micronutrients, it’s important to still get a good assortment of all your vegetables to consume each purposeful micronutrient as well as plenty of fiber, which helps with micronutrient absorption and hydration.

“Vegetables are full of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that provide many health benefits for your body,” Manley says. “Vegetables are generally lower in calories and higher in nutrients that can help to prevent disease risk as we age.”

Related Article: How colorful is your diet?