Eat Your Leafy Greens!

By MARY ELLEN KALUZA

Summer is in full swing, and our local farmers markets are bursting with the first produce of the season. For several weeks now, enterprising farmers with hoop houses have been supplying us with breathtaking spinach, stunning kale, lovely arugula, and delicious Hakurei turnips, with their yummy greens (a great twofer vegetable!).

Fresh vegetables at the local farmers markets are almost always less expensive than in grocery stores, not to mention far more nutritious, as they haven”™t languished in a far-off warehouse for weeks before reaching our refrigerators. Most vegetables start to lose nutrients the minute they are picked, and can lose 50 percent or more in less than a week. So, buying directly from the farmer who was up pre-dawn picking those leafy greens gets you the maximum goodness for your dollar.

WHY EAT GREENS?

Greens are probably the most nutrient packed food group. They are a great source of important minerals (iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium) and vitamins C, B, E, and K. Plus, greens have phytonutrients like beta-carotene and lutein. Lutein, for example, is shown to promote long term eye health, lowering the risk of cataracts. So, just like saving now in your 401K for retirement, eat your greens today to save your eyesight for those golden years.… Read the rest “Eat Your Leafy Greens!”