Almost any healthy food list you see will tell you to eat your greens. I NEVER ate greens when I was obese and unhealthy. I never bought any, and would not know what to do with them if I did.
Once I did start eating better, greens - especially the tender herb type, became a normal part of my diet and I wished I had started eating them much earlier.
This essay shows you some information about greens and photos I took of then with my Canon ELPH160 point and shoot camera.
AND!
I am running a comment contest on this post. The best two comments I get will win an SBI share after payout.
The first photo is part of a random assortment of greens. I took it while eating at my friends' house in Bangkok Thailand. They ate raw greens with everything at all meals and I do not know what these all were.
All of the places I have been in SE Asia for the last few years feature greens in a lot of the food - often raw. I do not remember this from back in the states. Did I miss something, or are greens not served much over there? Now I would miss them if I did not have them.
The rest of these photos are from the Farmers Market in Coronado California back in 2012. I had been shopping there for years and never even paid attention to the greens. Now all of the sudden I found out they were cheap, delicious, and easy to use.
But not that easy
First I washed them in baking soda and water and all kinds of dirt came off. I always wash produce in baking soda and sometimes vinegar. You will not believe what comes off them when you do. And all of the sudden you get the scent too. So much fun :)
Then I pulled the greens off the big stems to chop them. Now I use scissors instead. Much easier!
And here they are chopped fine like I like them.
Some I dried in the oven for a few hours and then kept in a jar. I froze others, but you are not seeing that part of the deal today.
Greens like this will also last a few days in the fridge. Wrap them in paper towels and then in a bag or container. I was really surprised that they held up so well, and you will be too.
I used part of my greens in Miso Soup, and here is some just after cooking. I baked that bread and it was very nice for croutons!
And here are some Miso Soup details to show you what was in the soup. This used to be my breakfast and it would definitely rev my engine when I ate it.
My son and his friends loved this soup and would always tell me it gave them energy. I did not think I or anyone else would like healthy food and then it turned out we all did!
I can give that recipe in another post. It's very yummy and nutritious.
So why should you to the effort to eat greens?
At @fitinfunfood, we are working to boost nutrition by adding the 31 essential nutrients.
Most green herbs have 14 of essential nutrients in them:
- Iron
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Phosphorus
- Fiber
- Zinc
- Pantothenic acid
- Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine
- Copper
- Manganese
I got that list at a health benefits of herbs site where you can go read all the details if you like. But do you really need to be convinced greens are good for you, or can you just start to eat them?
Having some greens ready to eat in the fridge, and some in the freezer, and some in a jar, means you can throw a handful into or onto anything and get some benefit.
When you ordered pizza or fast food by mistake, throw some greens on and you don't have to feel so bad.
When you are cooking a healthy meal – add some greens. Now you feel even better.
Making a smoothie? Yup. Add greens. A half a cup will give you the benefit and you will not even taste it.
This is the type of small start I recommend on your journey to better health. Taking an hour or so out of your life to get these things in the pantry and freezer will make a huge difference over time. You don't need to go crazy – you just need to start.
Please tell me your thoughts about greens. I really want to know how you feel about this idea and how it might work for you.
Your comment can win you an SBI share too. This post is a white list contest for the @contestkings initiative, where no upvote, no follow, and no resteem are required.
All I need is your interesting comment and will award a @steembasicincome share to the best two I get. I will decide right about payout time and do a second post to let you know what I find out from you and who wins.
This post is for the Color Challenge by @kalemandra. Show us your green on Thursday too!
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It is that time of year when the fitness equipment is out and the diet books are being read. I lost "Half My Size" eight years ago by using natural methods, and you can too!
This is Sharon @fitinfun. I am posting:
- Healthy Food Ideas on @fitinfunfood
- Easy Exercise, Tips, Health Information and Art @bxlphabet
- Motivation and Everything Else on @fitinfun
Please follow along or contact me directly if you would like some individual help with weight loss and health. Anyone can do this if I did.