May 28, 2021
The Best Greens You're Not Eating
When it comes to healthy eating, greens are super foods. Chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, greens combat disease, help control hunger and weight gain, and provide your body with healthy boosts of energy that help you get through the day easier. The most popular green on the market these days is kale, mostly due to its versatility; it can be slipped into almost any meal, broken down and enjoyed as a shake, or snacked on throughout the day. Its high levels of vitamins, iron, calcium, and fiber make it a great veggie to plan entire diets around, and it's also one of the best greens to use to detoxify your body. Still, kale is only one of many greens that are incredible for your health. Due to kale's popularity, many other greens are being tragically overlooked; some of which could be more beneficial than kale itself! Here are four of the best greens you're not eating!
1. Watercress
If this were a boxing tournament, watercress would be the reigning champ. Pound for pound, this bitter veggie packs more nutrients than any other superfood on this list, containing all of the vitamins, minerals, iron, and fiber that you just read about. Slipping this plant into your daily diet will drastically decrease the risk of succumbing to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even depression. It also strengthens your immune system and thyroid, making this one of the best greens for legitimately expanding your overall mortality. Watercress also contains phytochemicals that combat everything from asthma to the common cold, while simultaneously clearing your face of blemishes and dryness.
2. Swiss Chard
You may also know this awesome green by one of its many other names, such as silverbeet, spinach beet, perpetual spinach, crab beet, or mangold. Hugely popular in the Mediterranean, chard has been deemed one of the most nutrient-packed greens in the world. The phytochemicals contained within have a plethora of benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support, making this one of the best greens for your health period. Chard is also known for containing an antioxidant that regulates blood sugar. This is beneficial for a variety of reasons: not only can chard help lower blood pressure, but it can also help reduce the amount of oxygen needed during exercise or athletic performances. Not bad for a veggie with so many names!
3. Collard Greens
Collard greens may have the look and taste of regular cabbage, but they also have a few advantages over its more popular counterpart. Like arugula, collard greens are filled with vitamins A, C, and K, but the nutrients don't stop there. Vitamin B6, magnesium, riboflavin, and iron are also crammed in, which means collard greens offer more nutritional benefits than the average veggie. Its biggest advantage over other vegetables is its ability to actually lower your cholesterol as you eat it. This is a benefit that most other greens – like the ever-popular kale – lack, making it one of the best greens to slip into your everyday meal plan.
4. Arugula
This peppery-tasting green is packed with flavor and very few calories, making it one of the best greens to add to your diet. Not only is it filled with vitamins, but it also contains high levels of phytochemicals that help combat cancer. The high iron content helps keep your blood healthy while the high levels of vitamin K provide a boost in both bone and brain health. To top it all off, arugula is a naturally cooling veggie, making it one of the best greens to munch on during hot summer days. Truly one of the most versatile greens on the market, arugula is just as great added to soups as it is juiced up in smoothies. In fact, you can add dried fruits to an arugula smoothie to counteract the bitterness in this green's taste without subtracting any of its healthy benefits!
The best way to enjoy this super food is to either gently cook it or eat it completely raw. Boiling watercress will sap it of most of its plentiful health benefits. Still, between its high vitamin content, health-strengthening properties, medical perks, and cosmetic advantages, watercress is easily one of the best greens you should be adding into your diet. Kale is a phenomenal green to incorporate into your daily meal plan, but sometimes you need to explore outside of the box to find superfoods that are even better.