View full sizeMild, with subtle nutty-sweetness and less bitterness than many other greens. With red, orange, yellow and white varieties (often sold as “rainbow chard”), it’s a colorful raw veggie that catches the eye — a great way to entice kids to lend a hand in preparing and eating.
Most greens are rich in vitamins A and K, as well as important minerals (calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and potassium, for example), micronutrients and dietary fiber. Registered dietitian Amy Jamieson-Petonic of the Cleveland Clinic shares with us other nutrients associated with certain varieties and their special benefits to health and well-being. Here are some tips for handling and preparation, too.
BEET GREENS
Characteristics: Tender and tangy, the green tops of beets are a great “twofer” — roast the roots for an intensely sweet addition to salads and steam the greens as a side dish.
Healthfulness: A great source of vitamins K and A, which has positive effects on immunity by stimulating white blood cells and antibodies that help stave off infections.
Preparation: Jamieson-Petonic says that after washing thoroughly, drain greens and discard tough stems. Chop into small pieces and saute with onion, minced garlic, a little water, crushed red pepper flakes and a dash of sugar. Stir until tender and coated, adding a dash of vinegar at the end.
BOK CHOY
Characteristics: Here’s a different flavor to add to your side dishes. Common to Asian (especially Chinese and Southeast Asian) cuisines, its thick, firm creamy-white stalks and dark green leaves lend a peppery bite to stir-fry dishes, or try alone braised just until tender.
Healthfulness: A 3½-ounce cooked portion provides 75 percent of an adult’s recommended daily intake for vitamin C — an important antioxidant that helps pull dangerous “free radicals” from the body and protect skin health. A great source of vitamins A and K, plus a good source of potassium, important in maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Preparation: Avoid wilted leaves. Store at a higher humidity level in the refrigerator and use fresh (within 3 or 4 days of purchase). Discard outer leaves, wash in cold water and separate leaves then slice and cook together or separately.
BROCCOLI RABE
Characteristics: Broccoli’s gentler cousin. Its firm, asparaguslike stems are crispy but cook tender. Tight flower buds and dark green leaves are flavorful but milder than broccoli.
Healthfulness: A nutritional profile similar to broccoli, and a good source of antioxidants — especially indole and sulforaphane (also found in broccoli), which turn off cancer genes at the cellular level. Those elements are shown to be particularly effective in incidents of stomach, lung and colon cancer.
Preparation: Look for vibrant green leaves and plump stems. Rabe with smaller leaves tends to be more tender. To reduce bitterness, give a brief dunk in boiling salted water, drain and plunge into ice water — then steam until just tender.
COLLARD, MUSTARD AND TURNIP GREENS
Characteristics: The quintessential “greens” of Southern culinary lore. Dark, tough and more than a little bitter, well-prepared turnip, collard and mustard greens yield a luxuriously silky texture — with a good peppery bite (especially sharp, spicy mustard greens).
Healthfulness: A great source of vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin E and manganese, which all have heart-protective benefits. “All of those, in one way or another, help reduce inflammation in the body and at a cellular level help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke — all conditions that have consistently been prevalent in the African-American community,” Jamieson-Petonic says. Additionally, these greens contain oleocanthal, which has anti-inflammatory benefits comparable to nonsteroidal drugs such as ibuprofin.
Preparation: Generations of traditional Southern cooks have prepared greens boiled with ham hock or other smoked pork. Get much the same flavor substituting smoked turkey with far less saturated fat and cholesterol. Many cooks boil them for an hour or more, but try covering the pot and reducing cooking time (using very little water, adjusting heat and watching carefully to avoid scorching) — anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, depending upon how young and tender the greens are when purchased.
CURLY ENDIVE
Characteristics: Often confined to salads, this is a popular cooked green on Italian tables and others near the Mediterranean. Its subtle bitterness is a welcome balance to fatty meats and cheeses — an unusual but pleasant addition to baked flatbreads or in rich bean soups.
Healthfulness: A good source of beta carotene and vitamin A, plus B-complex vitamins (especially B-1, B-5 and B-6).
Preparation: Blanch as you would broccoli rabe (see above) then cook as usual. “It’s great sauteed and in soups and salads,” says Jamieson-Petonic. “A bit of extra-virgin olive oil and garlic bring out its flavor.”
DANDELION GREENS
Characteristics: Suburbanites see them as a hindrance to beautiful lawns, but dandelion greens are among the world’s most-foraged food plants. They take to lots of different preparations, especially when young and tender.
Healthfulness: High in vitamins A, B, C and D, as well as iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc. About 3½ ounces of boiled dandelion greens provide 33 calories, no fat and 2 grams of protein.
Preparation: Growers sell domesticated versions in produce sections. If you choose to forage, be cautious and avoid picking in areas exposed to exhaust fumes, herbicides and pesticides — and, of course, pets.
KALE
Characteristics: Intensely dark, green-to-black leaves (some varieties shaded in purple, red or white) with heavily curly leaves. Often used as a garnish on buffets or grown as an ornamental plant.
Healthfulness: One of the healthiest vegetables available. High in vitamin A (more than 354 percent of an adult’s recommended daily intake) and vitamin K (more than 1,000 percent of RDI). Kale also has cardio-protective benefits. A chemical component in kale binds with bile acids in the body, helping reduce risk of bladder, breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancers.
Preparation: Steam kale to bring out its greatest cholesterol-lowering effect. (See related story for techniques.) Try it shredded and cut in salads, or baked as “chips” (see accompanying recipes).
SPINACH
Characteristics: Once spinach salads came in vogue more than 30 years ago, this curly-leafed green took its position as the most common of the nation’s “cooking” greens. Modern strains have produce milder flavor.
Healthfulness: A nutritional powerhouse. Not only a great source of vitamins A and K, but also very high in carotenoids — phytochemicals, including beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which help vision. Spinach is rich in minerals, especially iron, which helps prevent anemia.
Preparation: Boil spinach to reduce its concentration of oxalic acid (which can increase risk of kidney stones) — but only for a few minutes or you’ll lose nutrients and flavor. Spinach appears on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen,” so Jamieson-Petonic suggests organic spinach whenever possible.
SWISS CHARD
Characteristics: Mild, with subtle nutty-sweetness and less bitterness than many other greens. With red, orange, yellow and white varieties (often sold as “rainbow chard”), it’s a colorful raw veggie that catches the eye — a great way to entice kids to lend a hand in preparing and eating.
Healthfulness: A single cup provides 214 percent of an adult’s RDI for vitamin A, and 715 percent of RDI for vitamin K. “There’s an antioxidant called kaempferol [in chard] . . . that helps to reduce the LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol and thus your risk of heart disease,” says Jamieson-Petonic. Kaempferol also reduces the formation of platelets that clump together in blood vessels, increasing the risk of stroke. It also inhibits the formation of cancer cells. “Pack your plate with this nutritional powerhouse,” she adds.
Preparation: The best way to cook Swiss chard is to boil it to reduce oxalic acid content.
Source: Amy Jamieson-Petonic; Joe Crea; U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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