Be Sure to Get Your Leafy Greens!
All vegetables provide essential vitamins and nutrients to improve your overall health.
Though it is recommended that you “eat the rainbow” with all colorful vegetables, leafy greens have been proven to be some of the most nutrient dense foods you can consume to improve your overall health. From improving bone health to immunity, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends consuming 4-6 servings of vegetables to your diet every day. Of those servings, the USDA also recommends 1-2 servings of vegetables should include dark leafy greens for maximum health benefits.
Leafy greens are luckily available year-round. Some examples of greens you might see in grocery stores include broccoli, spinach, cabbage, kale, collard greens or romaine lettuce. Many darker leafy greens such as arugula, spinach, kale, Swiss chard and collards are often an excellent source of fiber, folate and antioxidants that contribute to immune health and possible anti-cancerous properties.
Other benefits of consuming leafy greens may include:
- Enhancing vitamin and mineral absorption
- Improved bone and eye health
- Anti-inflammatory properties to help muscle swelling and systemic inflammation
- Increasing immunity to fight against illness and chronic diseases
- Increasing satiety and aiding in regular bowel movements
Guide To Greens- In-Season Leafy Greens To Look For This Fall (August-November)
Here is a short guide to some leafy greens that provide an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals in your diet that may help improve your overall health and athletic performance.
Broccoli: (June-October)
This floret-style leafy green vegetable might be in season year-round, but the autumn months is when broccoli is at it’s peak! Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and contains vitamins such as vitamin C, E, A as well as potassium and calcium to promote bone health and immunity. It is rich in dietary fiber to help increase your satiety and also contains tryptophan which may improve sleep and recovery post workout.
How to cook: lightly steam and serve with sea salt, olive oil and garlic powder for any easy side dish.
Brussel Sprouts: (August-November)
These cruciferous vegetables are closely related to kale, cauliflower and mustard greens that have been found to contain a variety of different nutrients to help improve your health. Brussel sprouts provide vitamin K to assist in blood clotting and bone health. Brussel sprouts also contain alpha-linolic acid (ALA) which is a type of omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties. Brussels also provide fiber which helps increase satiety, aids in blood glucose control and assists in maintaining regular bowel movements. ½ cup of brussel sprouts also contains 48 milligrams of vitamin C which may help enhance collagen production and increase iron absorption.
How to cook: wash, cut ends of sprouts and halve. Mix with olive oil, salt, pepper. Roast on sheet pan at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes- Enjoy!
Swiss Chard: (May-September)
Swiss chard is a dark leafy green vegetable with stalks ranging in color from bright red to yellow. This vegetable is rich in vitamins such as vitamin A, K and C as well as antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin which may all also aid in eye health. Swiss chard also provides iron, potassium and calcium which all contribute to bone and muscle recovery. Swiss chard is unique in its high content of kaempferol which has previously been found to have high anti-inflammatory effects in the human body. Fiber content in this leafy green may also help create a healthy gut biome.
How to cook: an easy addition to any soups or stews, sauteed with olive oil, salt, pepper and can be added to scrambled eggs or any smoothie!
Kale: (June-November)
Kale is considered to be one of the most nutrient dense foods you can consume! 1 cup of raw kale provides over 100% of your daily value recommended in vitamin A, K and C. The vitamins and minerals found in kale may help increase your immune health, prevent chronic disease, decrease risk of injury and aid in eye health. Kale also contains quercetin which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to reduce swelling, control blood sugar levels and potential to decrease cancer. Kale’s anti-inflammatory effects may increase overall athletic performance during post-exercise recovery.
How to cook: wash and cut to desired size, place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, place in oven at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!
Bok Choy (August-October)
Bok choy is a broad green leafed cruciferous vegetable referred to as a “Chinese cabbage”. This leafy green is packed full of fiber, calcium, vitamin C and folate. This leafy green is also a great source of quercitin which promotes anti-inflammation and may overall decreases your risk of chronic diseases. Bok choy may also prevent heart disease, boost immunity and act as an anti-carcinogen to certain cancers.
How to cook: try adding hearty soups or stews or steaming on it’s own with some salt and pepper!
Conclusion
Including dark leafy greens in your diet may help improve your health in many ways! Check out your local farmer’s market or farm stand before the season starts to change to try to snag some of these nutritious greens.
Interested in learning more ways on how to incorporate leafy greens into your training plan? Contact Dr. Schubert or check out these articles on Vegetarian athletes and Iron content of leafy greens. Intrigued by a more plant-based diet? Check out FAQ’s on the Mediterranean diet. Thinking about those mixed greens powders instead of real greens? Learn the pros and cons here.
References
Zinger Rebecca, Nagdeve Meenakski. 23 Incredible Benefits of Broccoli. Organic Facts. Published 2021. Accessed 2022. https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-broccoli.html
Enloe Autumn. The Thirteen Healthiest Leafy Green Vegetables. Healthline. 2018. Published 2018. Accessed 2022. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leafy-green-vegetables#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5
Written by: Katie Gross, Dietetic Intern