Why the Color Green Belongs on Your Plate All Year Long

St. Patrick's Day is this week, and every store and restaurant is having deals on the traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage...and also on green-dyed food and drinks. A lot of people probably feel the pull to buy those festive foods because it feels as if we can ONLY get that green-tinted cookie/cake/donut/beverage/milkshake ONE day a year. But, let's be honest...those foods appear on the shelves weeks (or even months!) before the actual holiday, and we end up indulging in more than one-day's worth of green treats.

Maybe those desserts don't appeal to you...but if you can't remember the last time you ate something green (we're talking vegetables, not desserts), then we're here to help you understand why the color green deserves to be on your plate all year long.

"Eat more greens" is one of the most common recommendations we make to athletes - green vegetables pack a powerful nutrient punch, boasting phytochemicals, fiber, calcium, iron,  and other vitamins and minerals, and they also have very little calories. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2015-2020 were recently published and highlighted the fact that the majority of Americans aren't eating enough vegetables, including dark green vegetables. That means the majority of Americans (including athletes) are also missing out on all those awesome health benefits that green vegetables provide.

Recommended amounts of dark green vegetables. 1 cup-equivalent = 1 cup raw, cooked, or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of leafy greens! The average weekly intake is under one cup for many, especially kids and adolescents under 18. 

When athletes ask, "How many vegetables do I need?", the answer is usually, "As many as possible, the more variety, the better." 

The "MyPlate" recommendations encourage people to fill up 1/2 their plate with vegetables and fruit (mostly vegetables), or about 3-5 servings of vegetables per day, coming from the dark-green, red-orange, legumes and beans, starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn and peas), and other vegetables.

For 19-30 year old males, the Dietary Guidelines are recommending 2-2.5 cup equivalents of dark-green vegetables per week, which equates to eating a couple salads, greens on your sandwiches, green smoothies, or cooked broccoli with dinner each week. Of course, there are other colored vegetables to include in your diet, but if you really break down the recommendations to eating a serving per meal, or filling half your plate with vegetables, it becomes easy to eat enough of those foods. It doesn't mean eating salads every day -  green vegetables can be one of the easiest types of vegetables for people to incorporate into their diets. 

Green Recipes for St. Patrick's Day and Beyond

Shamrock Shake Green Smoothie from Brianne at Cupcakes and Kale Chips (It has Greek yogurt in it, so it would make the perfect post-workout treat, without eating 73 grams of sugar.)

You can add spinach to ANY berry smoothie (like this blueberry one!) to hide greens, which works great for kids and even adults who don't like vegetables.

Superfood Shamrock Smoothie or Vegan Cauliflower Colcannon from Kara at The Foodie Dietitian
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage. This healthified version looks awesome!

Nourish Bowls or Massaged Kale Salad, 3 Ways from McKel at Nutrition Stripped
Massaged kale sounds like a silly new trend, but massaging the kale really just means you add dressing to your kale (olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper, etc.) and actually "massage" it into the leaves, which makes the kale leaves softer and easier to chew. You can use the massaged kale as a super nutritious base for any salad recipe!

Photo by Ryan, a Registered Dietitian who writes at i.run.on.nutrition

Collard Green Wraps from Ryan at I Run On Nutrition
You can substitute regular wheat wraps with collard green leaves. Try adding your regular sandwich fixings to the leaves!

14 Green Breakfasts from the Kitchn
Adding spinach/kale/collards to your eggs in the morning for extra nutrition

Tempeh and Broccoli Stir Fry from Dietitian Debbie Dishes
Tempeh is a great soybean protein that meat-lovers and vegetarians enjoy. It has a great texture and absorbs the flavor of whatever sauce and seasonings you're using - try subbing out your usual meat in stir fry and try this plant-based protein instead!

Picture by Brittany at Eating Bird Food

Okay, so maybe this recipe for Creamy Lime and Avocado Tarts from Brittany at Eating Bird Food DOESN'T contain any green vegetables, but it DOES contain super-healthy avocados and nuts, and it's green, so it deserves to get included in case you're looking for a St. Patrick's Day recipe.

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The Leek

The leek is a vegetable that is a part of the onion and garlic family. In fact, it's one of the more subtle tasting versions of the onion. It looks like a wide light green stem which is actually a cylinder shaped bundle of leaf sheaths. It can be steamed, sauteed and even eaten fresh. However, its most commonly used to make broth. The season is between October and May

from galleryhip.com             

Nutritionally, leeks are low in calories and rich with polyphenols which are potent anti-oxidants that help protect against oxidative damage. Leeks are an excellent source of vitamin K (the vitamin that is involved with blood clotting) and a very good source of folate, B6, copper, manganese and iron. Moreover, leeks are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, magnesium and calcium. All these micronutrients help keep a healthy immune system as well as help with multiple metabolic processes that relate also to physical performance. Since leeks taste sweeter than onions, many people once they try it, prefer leeks over onions. Leeks are typically cut into rounds (see picture above). White areas and light green areas are the ones that are typically eaten, however, you can eat the dark green areas as well. The dark green areas are just thicker and might require slightly more cooking.

Here are some ideas of what to do with leeks:

• Leek and potato soup
  Ingredients:
  1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
  3 leeks sliced into rings
  5 medium sized red potatoes peeled and diced
  5-6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
  1 tsp thyme (or 0.5 tsp dried)
  1 tsp marjoram (or 0.5 tsp dried)
  Salt and pepper per taste
  1-2 bay leafs
  
  Instruction:
  1. In pot put oil or butter and melt on low heat. Add leeks and stir for about 8-10 minutes or until soft
  2. Add diced potatoes and all seasonings and continue to stir for about 10 minutes
  3. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover partially and let cook on low heat for about 30 minutes
  4. You can serve as is or puree in a food processor/blender
  5. Feel free to garnish with creme fresh, heavy cream, basil, dill or scallions
• Sauteed leek and green beans
  Ingredients:
  1 Tbsp olive oil
  2 leeks sliced into rings
  1 tsp of minced garlic
  3 cups of fresh or frozen green beans
  Salt and pepper to your liking
  1 tsp of dried Italian seasoning
  
  Instructions:
  1. In a deep pan heat oil on medium heat and add leeks. Stir for 5-10 minutes or until leeks are soft and almost translucent
  2. Add garlic and stir for 3-4 minutes
  3. Add green beans and seasonings. Saute until green beans are soft and ready to eat
  4. Serve warm
• Here are some interesting recipes that are not just leek soup
• You can add leeks to your omelette, grits or hash browns in the morning 
• Leeks can also be put on pizza and in a quiche. Here is a simple & healthy quiche recipe

Hope this gives you great ideas to just pick up a leek from the grocery store. Its fairly cheap and located next to the refrigerated root vegetables and herbs. Happy cooking and let me know below how it goes.

Pic from www.health.com

                   

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To Juice or Not to Juice? That is the Question

I was recently asked at a presentation what my thoughts were on juicing. Moreover, new years is quickly approaching and with it come resolutions, which many will be losing weight, especially after indulging during the holidays. Therefore, I decided to write about whether to juice or not to juice. People juice for several reasons; whether it's "detox", weight loss, staying healthy or "rebooting", but is it appropriate?! Many companies talk about raving health benefits, however, hardly any of these claims can be supported by scientific evidence.

  
The best way to do help you decide if to juice or not is by just dividing it to pros and cons:

Pros

• Good way to get more fruits and vegetables in the diet, especially if you are picky or not a big vegetable and fruit eater
• High in antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals
• Feels "lighter" since you do not chew anything or have "bulky" food in your stomach
• Could help with weight loss  

Cons

• Very pricey. From the juicer to the amount of vegetables and fruits you need in order to get 1 cup of juice. In addition, if you ever buy the commercial juice cleanses they can be really expensive
• Lack of fiber which not only helps regulate our bowel movements but also helps with feeling fuller longer
• Many juicers eliminate the pulp and the peel which are packed with most of the vitamins and minerals 
• Thankfully, we have kidneys and a liver to help us "detoxify" or get rid of the toxins. Juice is not needed for that purpose
• Hunger is a constant feeling
• Contains mainly simple carbohydrates (sugars) which in turn will cause spikes in blood sugar and that could cause: dizziness, headaches, mood swings, agitation and fatigue
• Lacks important nutrients, such as: protein, fats and multiple minerals
• Although it could cause weight loss, it will be unwanted weight loss due to loss of muscle mass, which in turn will also slow down the metabolism
• May not help with weight loss due to the constant hunger feeling which will cause more drinking. Moreover, consumption of more fruits than vegetables can prevent weight loss (fruits are more calorie dense than vegetables)
• To stick to juicing year round is impossible. Temporary solutions will also bring temporary results
• May be tedious and time consuming (cleaning and cutting of produce and juicer as well as making it daily) 
• Food safety may be an issue since the juice is not pasteurized. Paying more attention to washing hands and juicers become very important

There are more cons than pros to juicing. Nonetheless, you can use juicing as a way to kick start your healthy eating new years resolution. Juice by adding or replacing one daily meal. Consider a cold press juicer to help retain the majority of nutrients and some of the pulp if you are planing to try it. The best thing for your health (and your pocket) would just be to try and eat more vegetables and fruits daily (5-9 servings a day) but if you need more help getting there, juicing can be an option.
  

                     

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These Are a Few of My Favorite Greens

Most people eat at least one vegetable that's green. Whether it's spinach, broccoli, green beans, peas or all the above, rarely is there a person that does not eat any.From an early age we have our parents and grandparents tell us to eat our greens and even the media, like Popeye, teaches us to eat our spinach so we get stronger. However, these are greens we all grew up on. There are many more greens out there which you may not even be familiar with but should be a part of any healthy and varied diet. Some of my favorites that are currently available are: arugula, chard and bok choy.
                  

Arugula also called salad rocket, Is a very tasty leafy green (picture above) that has a refreshing peppery taste. It is very high with antioxidants and phytochemicals that help fight multiple cancers as well as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate and B vitamins. Arugula is also rich with nitrates that are compounds that help dilate the blood vessels. This in turn helps lower blood pressure and possibly improve aerobic performance. Arugula is mainly used in salads, pasta, pizza, soup or to accompany cold dishes. Here are some great recipes to try out with this lovely, tasty green.
              
Chard also called Swiss chard, is also a leafy green very similar to kale. The leaf is dark green but the stalk can be in multiple colors mainly: yellow, white and red. The leaf has somewhat of a bitter taste unless cooked. Chard is also rich with antioxidants and phytonutrients that help fight inflammation as well as contains a high amount of vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin K. It is also a good source of different minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron, copper and potassium. Chard can be eaten raw, in soup, stir fry, tomato sauce or even quiche. Here are some healthy recipes to help incorporate more chard into your cooking.
              
Bok Choy also known as Chinese cabbage, is not a leafy green but a type of cabbage. It has a very subtle somewhat sweet flavor. Similar to the other 2 greens noted above, bok choy also has a good amount of antioxidants and phytochemicals that help fight certain cancers as well as lower the "bad cholesterol", LDL. Bok choy is rich with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and multiple B vitamins. It also has a moderate amount of some minerals such as: potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. Bok choy is not eaten raw but only cooked. It is common in Asian cuisine but can go into anything hot including: stir fry, soup, tomato sauce, chicken saute, etc. Here are 13 recipes to help you incorporate this delicious vegetable.

To combine all 3 together here is a cool stir fry recipe:
3 cups chopped chard
3 cups chopped bok choy
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp teriyaki
0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
1 -2 cup arugula

Turn stove on medium. Heat oil in pan. Add onions and stir until slightly translucent (4-5 minutes). Add garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add chard and bok choy stir for about 5 minutes. Add teriyaki and red pepper flakes. Stir until stalks are soft (about 5-7 minutes). Move hot stir fry into serving bowl. Add arugula and stir. Serve hot or cold. Note; you can also add chicken breast or shrimp to make this a complete meal

Greens can be way more interesting than just your usual 4 or 5. Experiment a little and you'll be surprised at what you discover.
Enjoy!

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