Welcome to another addition of Eat Your Greens, where I encourage you to eat more leafy green vegetables!
Today we’re going to be talking about Collard Greens.
Collard greens are a cruciferous vegetable related to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts. They are actually native to the Mediterranean.
NUTRITION:
Collard greens contain High levels of vitamin K and A, a good amount of vitamin C and folate, moderate amounts of Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Calcium, Manganese, and Vitamin E , plus other vitamins and minerals in lower amounts, as well as antioxidants.
SEASON:
Collard greens are available year-round, but they are at their peak in Fall, Winter, and early spring. So technically they aren’t at their peak right now (late summer), but I found some local ones at our natural foods grocery store.
PREPPING YOUR COLLARD GREENS:
To prep you collard greens, begin by slicing out the stems. You can do this by sliding a knife along the stem on both sides, or just tear it off by hand.
You can then chop up the leaves.
As with spinach (and other green leafy vegetables), collard greens contain oxalic acid, which inhibits mineral absorption.
A great way to reduce the amount of oxalates and goitrogens is to steam (or boil) your collard greens for about 5-7 minutes. Make sure you throw out the water, because the oxalates and goitrogens leach out into the water.
I recently read this article saying that the fear of goitrogens in food is a myth, but I still feel that greens benefit from being cooked.
HOW TO EAT COLLARD GREENS
My personal favorite way to eat collard greens is to chop them up and sauté them in bacon grease. Mmhmm.
Here are some other ideas:
- Collard Green Sandwich Wraps from Live Simply
- Southern Style Collard Greens from Simply Recipes
- Garlic Ginger Collard Greens with Eggs and Feta from Local Milk
- Cajun Inspired Stuffed Collard Greens from Daily Waffle
- Creamed Collard Greens from Epicurious
- Rosemary Meatballs With Dijon Collard Greens & Apricots from So…Let’s Hang Out
- Coconut Curry with Potatoes, Carrots, and Crispy Collards from Edible Perspective (I would use white rice instead of brown)
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens & Avocado from Minimally Invasive
- Greens and Garlic Soup from Brooklyn Supper
- Pepper Pot from Saveur (I would use potatoes)
Have you ever eaten collard greens? How do you like to fix them?
Sources:
Dr. Axe
Dr. Mercola
Nutrition Data
Eat To Beat
Gnowfglins