Learning to Make Greens More Delicious

I hear you read that topic and go "Yea, right"! Can greens actually be delicious without bathing them in blue cheese? Recently, I have been exploring a lot more with vegetables, and I have come to the conclusion that you can make greens delicious. 

Leafy Green Vegetables Leading Source of Food Poisoning

A new study from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that leafy greens, such as lettuce and spinach, are the leading source of food poisoning in the United States.

About 48 million Americans become sick from food poisoning each year, sending 128,000 to the hospital and causing about 3,000 deaths. Of the 48 million cases, about 20% were linked to leafy greens.  

By now you probably know that I am one of the biggest fans of spinach. Don't get me wrong, kale and collard greens and all the others are great, but I jut love spinach. So this news could be pretty worrying if you are like me and try to get most of your daily vegetable sources from greens.

However, it is important to note that the biggest killer among food-poisoning incidents was not leafy greens, but poultry. Between 1998 and 2008, 277 people died from eating tainted poultry, compared to 236 vegetable-related deaths. 

While that's not a considerable difference, at least it shows that there are multiple kinds of food that cause food poisoning in about the same amount as leafy greens.

So why am I telling you this? To get you off greens? Hell no. Greens contain a ton of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and incorporating them in your diet is one of the nest ways to stay healthy. But for those of us that drink a lot of green shakes, or make salads from pre-packaged greens, it is important to be vigilant and still thoroughly wash your greens before you eat them. I know, I know, what's the point of buying it packaged then, right?

Leafy vegetables are pretty difficult to thoroughly wash because they have all these tiny crevices and corners in the veins of the leaves. I know a lot of people (a.k.a West Africans) who chop the greens before they wash them, and then use some salt and really scrub. 

I mean like really really scrub. 

While that is probably a great way to get the greens clean, it may also cause you to lose a lot of the nutrients with the intense scrubbing action. And then you'd see like a whole bunch of leaves reduced to just pulp :( I would rather suggest thoroughly rinsing them whole with vinegar or salt before you chop them up (if you are chopping them up). This way, you get quantity and a good quality rinse :)

Oh, and while you are at it, thoroughly wash your meat and poultry too. Bacteria lurks in and around our food so it is essential to be very careful.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Foxnews.com

Dressing Up Your Greens

Mama said eat your greens. And while mama is not always right (but don't tell her that), she is today. The only problem is that as humans we are conditioned to hate vegetables. So how do you get over that battle between what is right for you and what tastes good? Here are a few tips:

Wander outside your comfort zone: So every time you think of greens you conjure up images of your grandma force-feeding you collard greens? That doesn't mean collard greens are the only good form of veggies. Most large grocery stores and markets have a vegetable section. You can go there, walk around, and see what you find. They have everything from spinach to green peppers to asparagus. Even if you are currently eating greens you like, it is easy to get bored. Try something new!

Sweeten your greens: If what concerns you is the bitterness (I do come from a country where there is a leaf called bitter leaf), then you can add in some sweetness without spiking up the calorie content considerably. Pears, peaches, and bananas are a great additive for the sweet tooth king or queen. Other sweeter vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, and peppers can also be really tasty options to cover up the bitterness.

Spice things up: Okay, so maybe you don't have a sweet tooth, but you like your food spicy? The great thing about spices is that they usually don't contain very many calories. You can try putting in a tea spoon of olive oil to your greens with some hot peppers, basil, garlic, or onions. If you properly spice up your veggies, you may forget that you are actually eating veggies. Just remember not to overcook them and lose all the nutrients. You could also grill your vegetables. If you haven't tried that, that can be so much yummier than boiling them because they get that smoky taste.

Deceive your taste buds: Okay, so you've tried all that and still can't over the green hump. How about putting some veggies in your regular food to deceive your taste buds? For example, if you like burritos, replace the beans in your burrito with peppers and other vegetables so you get the nutrients in and you drive the calories down. Plus, you still have your meat :) Or if you like pasta, fill your sauce with carrots, peas, and even some chopped spinach. You still get that awesome tomato taste and you get the benefits of having the veggies as well.

How do you dress up your veggies?

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: hearthealthyonline.com