We’ve all been hearing that we should be eating our dark leafies (aka those slightly bitter dark green leafy veggies), but do we all know exactly why? Sometimes hearing “because they’re good for you” simply isn’t enough.  We need the exact break down of the why (or at least I do!) to be inspired and motivated to eat them every day.  So, for the food of the month I’m breaking down all that is lovely and wonderful in the land of dark leafies, PLUS I’m including a no fail “eat your greens” bonus recipe.

So why are dark leafy greens hailed as king in the land of vegetables?  Before we break down the why let’s first understand what constitutes a dark leafy.

Dark leafy greens include:

Arugula, beet greens, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli rabe, chicory, collards, dandelion greens (you get bonus points when you eat this guy as they were my first featured food of the month!), endive, escarole, kohlrabi, lettuces, mustard greens, napa cabbage, parsley (yep it counts!), spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens (yep they’re edible), watercress, and of course the Godfather in the world of health and wellness, kale. That’s a pretty long list full of incredible options. You’ll never get bored in the land of leafies.

Okay now for the why (yay!):

-       Nutritionally speaking they are THE vegetable for nutrients and vitamins. They are extremely high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K.

-          Your body benefits in a big, big way.  Eating dark green vegetables help prevent cancer, purify your blood, strengthens your immune system, improves organ function (liver, kidney and gall bladder) and helps clear your lungs (think of all that oxygen).

-       Just look at those guys. They are literally plants that you eat. Plants are in serious talks with the sun (photosynthesis) and transfer chlorophyll and many micronutrients and phyto-chemicals to your hot body when you eat them.

-       They grow upwards and outwards and isn’t that really what we’re all here to do? Ingesting dark leafies will give you those very same energetic properties helping you to grow upwards and outwards (metaphorically speaking) too.

-       Fiber and protein. Yes, one cup of cooked broccoli contains 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.  That’s a legit amount of fiber and protein for a lowly vegetable.  As a protein obsessed society we can really look no further than our dark leafy greens.  And fiber?  Having enough fiber in your daily diet is the key to digestive health.  We like to keep things moving people.

As you can see there are a serious amount of why’s involved with the food of month.

If you’ve already been eating these mega veggies now you know the exact why behind it, and knowledge is power.
Totally convinced but not totally in love with your greens? Try this dressing on any steamed or salad green and you’ll be sure to love your leafies.

Still not convinced? Does all the cool kids are doing it help?

Tahini Dressing for Dark Leafy Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 small to medium garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice (about half of a lemon if it’s juicy otherwise use the whole lemon)
3 tablespoons well-stirred Tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

Ground pepper

Optional add-ins:

Dash of cayenne pepper

Small splash of tamari or soy sauce (use instead of sea salt)

Fresh herbs – dill (amazing), parsley, cilantro or basil

Spices – cumin or harissa

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, you can do this by hand or throw everything in a small food processor, until well blended and creamy.  Taste and adjust ratios or seasonings, the measurements are all approximate and should be to your liking so feel free to experiment – more tahini, more lemon, more water or less of anything – it’s totally up to you and your taste.  I also like to double the recipe and store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator for the week.

Serve on top of steamed or salad greens.  It goes especially well with steamed collards or kale.  Enjoy!