Stay Healthy with Greens

“Greens” is the simple name used for green plant leaves that are eaten as vegetables. Some can be eaten raw, while others require cooking.

Greens are considered a superfood, rich in all kinds of vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, folic acid, and calcium. High in fiber and low in calories, greens can help manage your weight, while special plant compounds may lower your risk of certain diseases.

Your Food Town carries many leafy greens year-round.  Some of the greens you can find at Food Town are Kale, Collard Greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Turnip Greens, and Mustard Greens.  By the bunch or pre-bagged, we make it easy for you to incorporate greens into your meals.

To reap the many impressive health benefits of these nutrient-dense leafy greens, make sure to include a variety of these vegetables in your diet.

Collard Greens

Collard is a dark green vegetable known for large-sized leaves. Although collard greens or “collards” are typically prepared braised or steamed they are also very nutritious, served as a raw leafy green for wraps, or blended up into raw soups, green smoothies, or pressed through a juicer.

Kale

Kale is considered to be one of the most nutritious green leafy vegetables. There are many types of kale varieties, some with rough dark green leaves, like dinosaur kale, while others have ruffled edges and sometimes purple pigmentation, such as curly kale or red leaf kale. Kale can be steamed, added to soup, or prepared raw in a kale salad.  You can even dehydrate kale leaves to make “kale chips.”

Spinach

Spinach is known for its high iron content, which is slightly higher than other mineral-rich greens like kale or collard.  The leaves range from small and flat to larger crinkled leaves. Spinach can be served raw with acid-type foods like lemon or vinegar to make it more digestible.  The larger-leaf spinach is best steamed or braised.

Swiss Chard

With its mild taste and easy prep, Swiss Chard is a great green to add to your diet. The stalks and leaf veins of Swiss chard vary in color from yellow to pink and deep red to white.  The leaves can be cooked much like kale or spinach, and the stalk can also be cooked, adding a different texture to any dish.

Turnip Greens

Turnip greens are the dark leafy green tops of turnips.  Though often discarded, these greens are edible when cooked and can be used like other hearty leafy greens. They work well in southern-style dishes as they have a peppery flavor.  Turnip greens are also great for soups and should be braised for a long time.

Mustard Greens

Like collard greens and kale, Mustard Greens are the peppery leafy greens of the mustard plant.  The leaves are vibrant green, and the smaller leaves have a milder taste, while the larger leaves have a stronger flavor. These leafy greens are typically boiled, braised, steamed, stir-fried, or even pickled.

Check out some of our favorite Greens recipes –

Southern Collard Greens: https://www.yourfoodtown.com/recipe/southern-collard-greens/

Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad: https://www.yourfoodtown.com/recipe/lemon-garlic-kale-salad/