5 Ways to Get More Greens

We've heard it all our lives how important eating enough leafy greens is and despite this, we still struggle to get enough in our daily routine. Eating enough greens is a crucial contribution to our immune system's overall health and the wellness of our bodies. I personally think a lot of the reason people tend to not get enough is because they don't know how to sneak additional greens into their everyday dishes / routine. With that being said, here's 5 super simple ways to add extra greens in to some of your everyday dishes and routines.

SMOOTHIES

This is one of my all time favourite ways to sneak in additional greens into my day. My morning smoothie typically contains 2 loosely packed cups of spinach along with banana, superfood powders, seeds, and additional fruit depending on what I have in the house. One can even use kale if they have that handy. ​In addition to this, there are so many wonderful green superfood powders available now in health stores and supermarkets for an additional boost. This is one of the easiest ways to pump those nutritious greens into the start of your day!

FRESH JUICES

I don't advocate for fresh juices everyday because I am a firm believer that the fiber in fruits and veggies are important for our systems, but the occasional fresh pressed juice is nutritious and also a great way to get more greens. ​Green juices can include lots of fresh spinach and even fresh parsley which is incredibly nutritious if balanced out with a sweet fruit like apples. A really great way to pump nutritious greens into your diet.

SWAP OUT THE ICEBERG

A salad is the perfect healthy addition to your lunch and dinner, but the choice of greens in your salad makes a world of difference. Iceberg is crispy and delicious but lacks the antioxidants and nutrition of greens like baby kale, spinach, rocket or even romaine. If you're hell bent on the iceberg, swap out half the iceberg for some of the other dark leafy greens I've mentioned to add additional green nutrition to your salads. Also, toss in as much fresh herbs as you have on hand as they are both flavourful and full of antioxidants and additional nutrients.

BLENDED TOMATO SAUCES

One of my absolute favourite things to eat is pasta with a delicious scratch made tomato sauce. I am also a big advocate for a blended sauce because I just find it clings to most pasta shapes so much better. Right before you blend, toss in several cups of spinach for that additional boost. Fussy eaters won't notice the difference and you've successfully amped up your green intake!

UTILIZE HERBS

People tend to associate fresh herbs as nothing more than garnishes but that's only the tip of the iceberg. Herbs contain unique antioxidants along with a plethora of vitamins and minerals that are easily added to almost every dish you can think of. Toss your finished pasta with a cup of fresh parsley and fresh basil. Finish each bowl of soup with some fresh thyme and parsley, chili with fresh cilantro etc. The more herbs you add to your dishes, the more greens you're getting in with the added bonus of additional flavour.

What other easy ways do you add additional greens into your everyday routine?

HAPPY VEG