Adding leafy greens into your or your child’s diet may seem like a challenge. However, getting a variety of leafy green vegetables into your diet is extremely important. These veggies minimize the risk of cancer and heart disease because they are so low in fat and high in dietary fiber.
Leafy greens also contain tons of nutrients, vitamins, and enzymes, including iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins K, E, and C. Greens are great for those with type two diabetes, as well, as they are low on the glycemic index and high in magnesium. Eating plenty of leafy green vegetables will not only make you feel better (they’re high in antioxidants, which boost your immune system), but they will also keep you younger for longer (phytochemicals in greens prevents cell damage and increases eye health). Ok, I think I’ve made quite an argument as to why you need to add more greens into your diet.
But maybe you or your child don’t like the taste of greens in general. There is quite an easy solution to this! Start making “green smoothies” for breakfast every morning – you will not be able to taste the green ingredients because they are masked by the fruity flavors you love – but you’ll still enjoy all of the benefits. Below is a recipe for a delicious spinach smoothie, but be sure to seek out other smoothie recipes for different types of greens (kale, chard, etc.), as variety is key! Trust me. You can get very creative.
Spinach Smoothie
Ingredients: 1.5 cups water 1 ripe banana, peeled 1/2 cup frozen strawberries 1 cup of fresh spinach
1. Add the water first, then the banana, into a blender.
2. Follow with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Enjoy!
Make sure to blend everything very well so that there aren’t bits of spinach floating around. If you’re making this for a child who is afraid of anything green, feel free to add more strawberries or blueberries to the mix!