This post is part of the #LoveHealthy Veggie Campaign, which is all about tips, recipes, and strategies for getting more veggies into you and your family’s meals.
I love vegetables and especially my greens. Even though kale has become a household word these days I know that many of you are still not getting enough greens in your diet. Raise your hand if you go days without eating greens. How about weeks? Months? If it’s months, we need to talk!
One of my favorite strategies for eating more greens is to add them to my everyday dishes. I either replace another ingredient with greens or just toss them into the dish for good measure! Because they’re so versatile you can eat more greens without anyone really noticing. They just blend in like they’re supposed to be there and it becomes normal. So yes, one day you too will add kale to your oatmeal and you won’t even notice. Okay, probably not but you get the point. Hey, if you are putting kale in your oatmeal, you go, girl! I was thinking more along the lines of these delicious examples:
Greens Replace Bread
A simple switch that is so delicious and satisfying. Once you try this you will love the crunch and texture, I promise. And you can use other greens, too. Try Swiss chard, Romaine leaves, etc. I like to wrap a collard green with homemade hummus, avocado and red peppers for a quick lunch.
Greens Replace Taco Shell / Tortilla
Instead of your typical flour tortilla or wrap use Boston Bibb lettuce instead. I did that here with my salmon wraps and it was delicious! Making fajitas? Switch out the flour tortilla for Swiss chard.
Greens Tossed with Roasted Vegetables
Here I actually roasted the BroccoLeaf greens with the butternut squash and you could do the same thing with any roasted vegetable. You can also just toss the greens right before serving the roasted veggies while they’re still hot. Spinach and other “softer” greens work beautifully this way. You can even use the mixed baby green blends that are out now, as they wilt pretty easily just from the heat of the veggies.
Greens Added to Burgers
Add chopped greens to any burger recipe for a supercharge of nutrition! I love these spinach mung bean and millet burgers from Dolly and Oatmeal but you don’t have to be a vegetarian to add greens to your burger.
Greens Mixed with Pasta
This pasta is tossed with frozen kale. I love using the frozen kale because it’s already pre-chopped, cleaned and ready to go. Frozen greens are a great way to add greens to any dish super easily. Other ways to use frozen kale are in eggs (like these egg muffins), quiche (like this crustless kale quiche), and this cauliflower tempeh.
Greens in Your Smoothie
Adding greens to your smoothie is now pretty mainstream but there are still some people hesitant to try it. If you’re still one of the scared ones go with baby spinach, pineapple a bit of mint and coconut milk. You can’t go wrong with that combo.
Greens Unexpected
Here’s where I’m taking you to places you’ve never been before. Greens in popcorn. Kale chips. Green leaf powders. Green popsicles. Green brownies. The sky is the limit for using greens in everyday dishes. Get creative!
