You hear it all the time - eat your veggies. And leafy greens seem to give the best bang for your nutrition buck. But before you start scarfing up everything green, you should know the variances in nutrition from broccoli to Bibb lettuce. Unfortunately, the number-one green is dead last when it comes to nutrition. We each eat about 17 pounds of iceberg lettuce each year, so it's a good thing this salad staple has next to no calories. Being comprised of mostly water means it has next to no nutrition as well. The good thing about iceberg is that it can serve as a "gateway green," drawing in veggie-phobes who might not want to try other greens first. Go for the darker green romaine as a step up from iceberg - it's got plenty of vitamin A and some folate as well. As you get into the darker greens, you get more nutrition. Of course you'll be strong to the finish with Popeye's favorite, spinach. It's packed with vitamins A and C, plus folate.
And cooked spinach frees up dietary calcium present in the veggie, making it even more nutritious. Sneak thawed frozen spinach into soups, casseroles and other dishes for incognito vitamins. Broccoli is another veggie that's fairly easy to get kids to eat - call them "trees" and serve steamed or raw with a plain yogurt-based dip. If you live in the South and love collards or turnip greens, then you're in luck. Often fat is added as a flavor enhancer, but if you can find a healthy replacement, then you'll get calcium, fiber, folate, potassium and antioxidants. And the winner of the green game is...kale! It's a perfect source of vitamins A, C, E and K - all powerful antioxidants - plus fiber, potassium and folate. Add flavor enhancers like olive oil, garlic and your favorite spices to sauté and serve up a super side dish.
