Our “Irish” March holiday can mean Sun Citians wearing green socks and hats, quenching their thirst with green beer or with McDonald’s shamrock shakes, or even enjoying the view of a dyed green Chicago River. Since March is National Nutrition Month, how about our seniors enjoying some green on their plates as well?
(Photo by Eric Hunt/Wikimedia Commons)
What differentiates green vegetables from other vegetables, of course, is their color. Because they top the list of best vegetables for you, please keep them in mind as you work toward the new dietary guidelines recommending you to fill half of your plate with vegetables at every meal. Studies identify all green vegetables as powerhouses of nutrients, including Vitamins B and C – the water-soluble vitamins; and Vitamins A, D, and K – the fat-soluble vitamins. Green vegetables help to keep dreaded diseases away, such as cancers and cardiovascular problems. They also work to prevent bone loss and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, as well as diabetes.
Because green veggies can be high in fiber and low in calories, with practically no carbohydrates, they also help control weight gain. Included in the list of lighter or medium green vegetables are the greenbean and pea, asparagus, artichoke, cauliflower, cucumber, lighter celery, lighter cabbage, lighter iceberg lettuce, dandelion, sweet potato, and mushrooms.
There are some vegetables that come with darker leaves and are, therefore, known as darker green leafy vegetables. It is observed that their nutritional value is even higher than the above group discussed. Their percentage of essential vitamins and minerals is maximum, and they are must-haves to include in a healthy diet.
“Dark green vegetables are rich sources of several cancer-fighting compounds including carotenoids and folate,” Sun City Centegra’s nutritionist, Meg Burnham, said. “Further, certain dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, bok choy, (dark) cabbage, mustard and turnip greens provide a source of calcium, which is helpful to those individuals who may not tolerate dairy products.”
Other popular dark green vegetables include spinach, dark celery, dark iceberg lettuce, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, endive, and dandelion green.
Because the conventional way of growing vegetables involves the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical food additives, try to buy or grow organically cultivated vegetables. Though they are more expensive, organic vegetables use natural pesticides and hardly lose their nutrition.
Vegetables frozen at their peak will retain their nutritional value better than veggies packed into plastic bags, which lose their nutritional strength as they are shipped or sit on grocery store counters. Besides eating your green veggies raw with a dip or in a salad, the best cooking method that protects vegetables from losing nutrients is steaming. Roasting and stir-frying are other healthy cooking options.
Burnham would like to invite Sun City residents to take advantage of Centegra’s Wellness Center at Prairie Lodge for senior nutrition services. She has also included the following fun and easy green vegetable recipe for making kale chips. You might want to try it on this St. Pat’s Day.
Tear the leaves off 1 bunch of kale. Toss it on a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 sliced garlic cloves, and salt and pepper. Roast in an oven at 425 degrees until crisp for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Squeeze some lemon juice on top, and enjoy!
