You don’t have to love greens to be vegan, even die-hard fans of dark leafy greens can get bored with ink. However, it’s important to work them into your diet, as they provide essential nutrients like calcium, iron, fiber and more. Instead of forcing yourself to eat another bite of steamed spinach, rearrange your preparation. From simple yet crave-worthy salads to kale-infused ice cream, you’ll want to stock up your produce drawer to make these 10 great recipes.
Why are green vegetables good for you?
As mentioned above, green vegetables are a good source of essential nutrients. In fact, according to the CDC, they provide 10 percent or more of the daily value of 17 nutrients per 100 calories. They are a good source of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, for example. Antioxidants are vital to our health, as research suggests they help protect and repair cells that have been damaged by harmful disease-contributing molecules known as free radicals.
10 New Ways to Eat Your Greens
These 10 recipes show there are many creative ways to get greens and all their nutrients into your diet. Soon, you actually will lust Force them down instead of your veggies.
African bite
1 Yebe Gomen
While wonderful on its own, this dish is best enjoyed scooped up with a sponge injera– An Ethiopian flatbread. These Ethiopian collard greens are made by simply roasting the leaves with a few key spices like cardamom and fenugreek. Don’t worry about buying spices you don’t have in your cooking arsenal; As you make these vegetables over and over again, you’ll quickly go through them.
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healthy happy life
2 5-Step Raw Kale Salad
Even the truly kale-averse will crave a trough-sized portion of this salad. A combination of massaging kale and marinating it in a luxuriously creamy, slightly sweet tahini maple dressing breaks down tough fibers and transforms greens into an absolute dream. Beyond the flavor bomb of the dressing, the salad has other tasty ingredients, including fatty avocado, sweet shredded carrots, and sharp raw onions for texture and some bite.
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T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies
3 Peanuts Collard greens
Practically everything is better with peanut butter. These tender collards are dressed in the best oil-free peanut sauce and served on a gorgeous bed of sticky-sweet roasted plantains. With so many different textures and flavors, it won’t take long to tire of this African-inspired side dish.
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Oh that gloss
4 Classic Green Monster Smoothie
Blogger and best-selling cookbook author Angela Lydon may not be able to prove that she invented the green smoothie, but she posted these “Green Monster” smoothie recipes long before smoothie shops dared to put spinach in their drinks and long before juices were a trending bar. This basic, antioxidant-packed smoothie is the gateway to all things green. It may look like a monster but it tastes like a milkshake.
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Totally helpful
5 Super Simple Green Soup
It’s true what contestants on cooking shows say—if you don’t like an ingredient, mix it up. The act of turning a dish into oblivion with other ingredients transforms it into something new and surprisingly delicious. This thick, immune-boosting soup disguises a wheelbarrow full of greens, with potatoes and garlic as the stars. As much as you want to cut it down, be careful—it’s hot!
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From scratch fast
6 Swiss Chard Gratin
Green-based sides are usually bland, but this recipe breaks the mold. It’s rich, joyful and worthy of a celebration—or just a normal Tuesday. Earthy Swiss chard becomes decadently silky when baked in a full-fat coconut milk batter and topped with crunchy, gluten-free breadcrumbs. Technically, this recipe eats like a meal.
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enjoying
7 Kale Cookies + Cream Ice Cream
We wouldn’t recommend swapping your salad for a scoop of this kale-infused vegan ice cream, but it’s too iconic to pass up. Invented by vegan chef darling Chloe Coscarelli, this sweet green treat is the best cookies and cream variation you’ll ever eat.
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Save the vegetable day
8 Green Breakfast Chia Pudding
Tired of packing your morning greens into a smoothie? Try a green-blended breakfast pudding. Make your own “green milk” by mixing a few handfuls of spinach with your favorite plant milk and dates. Soak a spoonful of chia seeds in this nutrient-dense mixture and an hour later, you’ll have a surprisingly tasty breakfast that’s good-for-you green. A tip for parents: Kids love it.
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My whole food life
9 Simple Arugula Salad
Arugula can add a fresh, bite to a pizza topping or pesto, but some find it a bit too peppery to use as the sole base of a salad. This genius recipe combines raw arugula with creamy avocado, sweet corn kernels, crunchy pepitas and juicy cherry tomatoes to tone down the flavors. The entire bowl is tossed with a simple-yet-addictive maple and olive oil dressing to blend all the ingredients into a salad you’ll crave every night.
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Switch 4 is good
10 Palak paneer
When in doubt, make a sauce. This rich green curry is made with six cups of iron-packed spinach, but what you taste is a velvety smooth, spiced coconut milk base with just the right amount of earthiness. Use it as a crispy tofu dip and enjoy it with roti or vegan naan.
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