Most Americans don’t consider the power of greens when it comes to having enough energy to get through a busy day but did you know the nutritional make-up of some green superfoods can actually help unlock the energy from other foods?
Choosing Foods to Unlock Energy
It’s not news that green is the official color of springtime. Green buds burst into leaves on trees and green seedlings emerge from the earth. But what about green on our plates?
While most of us know that lean protein and healthy carbs (like whole grains) give us energy, many are unaware of a group of superfoods that help our bodies process and unlock the energy from the foods we eat. These nutrition packed veggies are easy to find, delicious, and have one thing in common—they’re all green!
Leafy greens and green veggies are filled with nutrients and power our health. Dark leafy greens, for example, are rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as the B-vitamins essential to converting food into usable energy. With fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium, in addition to other beneficial antioxidants, these greens are true superfoods that can help you unlock the energy you need to tackle your to-do list.
Here are five easy ways to add more green to our plates this spring:
- Start your day with green by including veggies in your breakfast, like with a broccoli and cheese scramble on whole-wheat English muffin or by adding green vegetables to your omelets.
- Place a bed of sautéed greens underneath your main dish, like a grilled chicken breast or piece of fish.
- Add natural sweetness to green veggies by combining them with fruit, like in broccoli salad with dried cranberries, or by roasting veggies to bring out their natural sugars.
- Amp up your side dish game by experimenting with new sauces or fresh herbs for green vegetables, like with asparagus salad with lemon-garlic dressing or crunchy cucumber-dill salad.
- Add kale or spinach to your soup or smoothie.
Since everyone’s health history and nutritional needs are so different, please make sure that you talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian to get advice about the diet and exercise plan that‘s right for you.
Note: Since everyone’s health history and nutritional needs are so different, please make sure that you talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian to get advice about the diet and exercise plan that‘s right for you.