A Healthy You: It's Time For Your Greens

Spring is a great time to eat some leafy greens, like spinach.Cindy Gates newBy Cindy GatesIt’s finally spring, and it’s a great time to eat some leafy green veggies. Spinach, kale and arugula are easy to find at the grocery store or farmers market. If you’re new to eating greens, don't worry. Here are a few tidbits to help you out.

Green Tidbits

Spinach

  • Do not wash spinach before refrigeration because exposure to water will encourage spinach to spoil.
  • Cooking spinach increases iron absorption by an average of 10-15% compared to raw spinach.

Kale

  • If over-cooked, Kale can lose up to 50% of its nutrients.
  • Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, and therefore an excellent cancer fighter.

Arugula

  • Arugula, like kale, is a cruciferous, cancer fighting vegetable.
  • Arugula has a bold and peppery taste and has 5 times more Vitamin A and C than iceberg lettuce.

 

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients1 bunch kale1 tablespoon olive oil1 teaspoon seasoned saltDirections1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.A Healthy You is a regular column about nutrition, healthy living and cancer care. It is written by Cindy Gates, RD and LD and the Cancer Center’s Oncology dietitian, herbalist and Certified Wellness Coach.

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