For us, greens are an obsession. Whether it’s a bottle of juice or a salad the size of a small European car, we just can’t get enough. We know it’s not that way for everyone. For some, eating more veggies – specifically, the green ones – is a challenge.
Whether you are leafy greens-challenged, have picky family members, or just can’t seem to fit in enough of the power-packed stuff by the end of the day, we’ve got a few cool and clever ideas from one of our favorite wellness coaches McKel Hill of Nutrition Stripped to share her six favorite ways to sneak more greens into your day…
7 Easy Ideas For Eating More Greens Daily
Add greens to smoothies:
Try the obvious like kale, romaine and spinach, but also try the less common greens like fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley and mint). Also, try avocado (hey, technically green) and celery. Two of my favorite recipes are The Beauty Green Smoothie and my Cashew Lime Green Smoothie.
Bulk up your salad:
Add greens that you traditionally don’t add – even lightly cooked ones like collards, mustard greens and turnip greens. Otherwise, make a chopped salad with your favorite dark leafy greens.
Sauté with salt:
Try calcium rich greens like turnip greens, mustard greens, collard and broccoli. Adding a touch of olive oil, sea salt, garlic and black pepper is all you need for them to be super tasty and simple.
Juice your greens:
Try sticking with juices that have a higher ratio of vegetables over fruits. Vegetables like celery, cucumber, spinach, romaine, fennel and zucchini are all incredibly water-rich. Add fruit to gently sweeten it up and always add lime or lemon!
Just add lime:
Traveling in Thailand recently opened my eyes up to the use of lime – try adding it to water when you can, squeeze it on top of salad, in your juice, green smoothie and more.
Smoothie bowls:
These are obvious, yet great ways to squeeze in 3-4 servings of vegetables in one glass. Choose greens like spinach, romaine, kale, celery and fresh herbs for variety of nutrients and taste. Add frozen fruit to keep the smoothie bowl thick enough to enjoy with a spoon and try topping it with spirulina!
Don't forget pesto:
One of my favorite green recipes is Pesto Green Eggs with Avocado Toast. Not only is the recipe filled with green nutrition, but it’s a satisfyingly strange green color too! Green eggs, anyone?
