You have probably heard that you should get your greens, but it can be easier said than done. Eating more greens may sound like extra time and effort in the kitchen and more energy spent on meal prepping.
Fortunately, eating more greens is simpler than you might think. Discover a few excellent and simple ways you can incorporate greens into your diet and enjoy steady energy in the process.
Why Are Greens Important for Health?
Greens are important for your health because their high nutrient levels can help you incorporate more vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds into your diet.
These nutrients support the natural function of your body’s systems and cells while also promoting your overall health and wellness. Plus, greens are low in carbohydrates, sodium, and sugar, so they are great for promoting a balanced diet.
With so many nutrients, eating greens can help in maintaining healthy blood sugar, supporting healthy cognitive function, and promoting healthy energy levels. Including greens in your diet can also support healthy growth and development.
What Nutrients Do Greens Provide?
Greens are excellent because they can help you get so many nutrients in just one place. Some of the most common nutrients that greens contain include:
- Calcium: Promotes strong bones while supporting healthy muscle function.
- Antioxidants: Supports the healthy aging of cells.
- Vitamin A: Promotes healthy vision and supports immune health.
- Vitamin C: A form of antioxidant that promotes healthy skin and bones while also supporting immune health.
- Vitamin K: Supports healthy circulation and blood cells.
- Potassium: Supports healthy tissues and healthy muscle function in the body.
- Folate: A B vitamin that supports healthy cell function.
On top of all these main nutrients, greens are also packed with many other phytonutrients and micronutrients that can support the healthy function of the body. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and celery also have a high dietary fiber content, which supports healthy digestion.
Which Greens Are Healthiest?
Greens are great, but not all greens are the same, as some are more nutritious than others. Typically, dark leafy greens have the most nutrients packed in them.
Some of the most nutrient-dense greens are:
- Alfalfa leaf
- Barley grass
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Celery
- Kale
- Spinach
- Spirulina
- Wheatgrass
To many, these greens are considered super greens because of how many nutrients they have to offer. They aren’t the only greens that are good for you, but you should still aim to include these nine greens in your diet where you can.
How Can I Incorporate More Greens Into My Diet?
You won’t find greens in many quick meals, so if you want to add more greens to your diet, you have to be intentional about including them. For many, this extra effort is a significant barrier in the way of getting the necessary nutrients, but it doesn’t take as much effort if you know a few simple tricks.
Here are a few delicious ways to get more greens in your diet.
Make Smoothies
If you want to get more greens, you can’t go wrong with an occasional green smoothie. Fresh greens are easy to toss into a smoothie because they blend well without throwing off the flavor — just toss some fresh or frozen leafy greens into the blender with your other smoothie ingredients.
For extra nutrition and convenience, you can includeL’Evate You’s Vitality Daily Greens powder in your smoothies. Just add one serving of the powder into your smoothie and blend it up.
The best part about smoothies is that they are so versatile and allow you to customize them however you like. You can choose to add different fruits, seeds, protein powders, or whatever else you think would work. Customizing your smoothie not only allows you to add extra nutrients but also allows you to craft something that you enjoy drinking.
If you’re not a fan of the smoothie idea, you can also opt for green juice — just keep in mind that juiced greens will offer less fiber than blended greens.
Try a Greens Powder
Do you want to support your health and energy levels but also need convenience? If you’re often short on time, then a greens powder is a great way to get the best of both worlds. A greens powder allows you to pack the benefits of a bunch of nutritious greens into one simple supplement.
Greens powders often include other great ingredients for additional benefits. For example, Steve Harvey created L’Evate You to help support mitochondrial health and healthy energy levels daily. As a result, this powder also contains an antioxidant blend, a mushroom blend, and probiotics to give you extra nutrients.
If smoothies aren’t your thing or you don’t want to go through all the trouble of making them, you can also mix your greens powder with a glass of water. L’Evate You also comes in three flavors, including Chocolate, Tart Cherry, and Original, so you can get your nutrients without having to hold your nose.
You can add this greens powder to a smoothie bowl, popsicles, recipes, and more. Whatever works best for you and helps you eat more greens.
Incorporate More Side Salads
A balanced diet recommends including veggies with every meal, so a side salad is an excellent way to do just that. Almost any leafy green can make the foundation for a great salad, including romaine lettuce, alfalfa, spinach, and kale.
Like a smoothie, salads allow you to exercise your creative freedom for added flavor and added nutrition. You can spice up your salad with some fresh fruit, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, or whatever piques your interest.
Consider dressing your salad with lemon juice for light flavor or a tablespoon of olive oil to add in some healthy fats.
Add Them to Soups and Sandwiches
You can add a touch of green to almost any food you already make regularly! For starters, kale and Bok choy are great for adding a crunchy texture to soups and stews. If you’re not a soup person, greens go great in sandwiches, too.
Lettuce is a favorite on sandwiches, but it isn’t the most nutrient-dense green. On the bright side, you can easily replace the lettuce on a sandwich with leafy greens for extra vitamins and minerals. Some great alternatives are arugula, spinach, and kale.
If you want to bypass the extra carbs in your sandwiches, you can use lettuce wraps as a creative way to enjoy your lunch.
Add Them Into Blended Sauces
The potential of greens is incredible. You can top off tons of different entrees with greens by blending them into different sauces.
Greens work wonderfully for infusing extra nutrients into pasta sauces. For example, basil makes a delicious pesto with its distinct flavor, but you can add even more nutrients by mixing in other nutrient-dense greens as well. You can also in some spinach leaves with your alfredo sauce for a unique but tasty pasta dish.
If you aren’t the biggest pasta fan, then take a different route. You can also use greens and fresh herbs to make a delicious salsa verde for topping off your tacos or burrito bowls.
Other Ideas
Not yet convinced that you’ll be able to get enough greens in your diet? Don’t worry — the ideas don’t stop there. Some other ways you can include greens in your diet include:
- Adding them to an omelet
- Sautéing spinach with garlic
- Including them in a stir-fry
- Steaming collard greens or mustard greens as a side dish
- Snacking on kale chips
- Making popsicles using green powders
The Bottom Line
Just because greens are healthy, it doesn’t mean they have to be hard to get. If you want to get greens into your diet every day without the trouble of cooking or intensive preparation, then turn to L’Evate You Vitality Daily Greens powder. L’Evate You was created by Steve Harvey and his personal health team to support your overall health and energy all the way down to your cells.
By including some of the nine most nutritious greens, this powder gives you a long list of important nutrients. Plus, L’Evate You features dozens of other ingredients to support your health, including a specially formulated probiotic and digestive enzyme blend, a mushroom blend, and an antioxidant blend.
Altogether, this greens powder is a powerhouse of nutrients that can support your health and energy levels. Explore our complete collection of Vitality Daily Greens and see the difference they can make.
Sources:
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables | USDA ARS
Salad greens: Getting the most bang for the bite | Harvard Health