Dark leafy green vegetables are miracle foods! Because they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, they help protect our bodies from chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, degenerative eye diseases, cancer, and heart disease. They are ideal for weight management because they are low in calories and packed with fiber. Dark leafy green veggies taste great, too! Some delicious choices include:

  • bok choy
  • broccoli
  • collard greens
  • dark green leafy lettuce
  • kale
  • mustard greens
  • romaine lettuce
  • spinach
  • turnip greens
  • watercress

If you find yourself having a hard time eating the recommended 3 cups of vegetables each day, try drinking your daily greens. Here’s a delicious recipe that’s featured on the Whole Foods website. The Denver area Whole Foods Markets have gorgeous looking kale and spinach right now. Enjoy!

Double Green Smoothie (serves 2)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy beverage, such as almond, rice or soy
2 dried apricots or 4 pitted dates
1 banana
1 cup chopped kale leaves
1 cup spinach leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries

Directions

Combine non-dairy beverage, apricots, banana, kale, spinach and berries in a blender and blend until smooth. I use a Vitamix.

Until next time, make every bite count!