As much as we hate to admit it, most of us know really don’t eat enough vegetables. Well, most of the time anyway. When produce is coming out of the garden about mid summer, it may be another story, but what about the rest of the year?
For one thing, I know I need to eat more greens. My doctor recently advised me to stop taking calcium supplements, stating it actually did more damage to the heart than it did repairing bones. Seriously? Ughhh....
Common sense is starting to kick in, albeit a little slow. I realize now that it’s best to consume the entire plant as opposed to extracting and isolating individual components in it. As a whole food advocate, I’ve made it a practice to cook and serve foods from scratch, eating them as close to the way God made them as possible. But somehow I still thought it was okay to take those vitamins without question. I realize sometimes it is absolutely necessary, but most of the time, we'd be better off "taking our vitamins" through the foods we consume. Even though they may be less nutrient dense than years ago, they are still our best means for absorbing what is needed and flushing out what is not.
So all that said... I'm on a mission to eat more veggies, particularly greens. I grew two varieties of kale this winter (Winter Red and Dinosaur), as well as Rainbow Chard, with the hopes of eating more during the dark months of mostly root vegetables and squash. And I did eat more than all the years prior! Just not as much as I had hoped. Most days I added a few leaves (along with some purchased spinach leaves) to smoothies and made a green drink. No juicing or cooking, just pureed in the blender along with the other ingredients.
I also was more consist about sprouting seeds and adding them to everything from salads to egg dishes, sandwiches, and anything else that sounded half way appetizing.
Then I found this kale cabbage mix at Costco and I got all excited until I realized it included a dressing I wasn't thrilled with. And why buy what I'm mostly growing? So I came home and made my own version substituting sprouts and green onions for chicory and making a homemade poppyseed dressing from ingredients I "approve".
Kale & Cabbage Salad
(no measurements are given as this is totally up to you and how many servings you want!)
kale leaves, cut into shreds
purple cabbage, cut into shreds
napa cabbage, cut into shreds
baby spinach leaves
broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
brussels sprouts, cut into thin strips
green sprouts
green onions, chopped
dried cranberries
pumpkin seeds
Toss all greens and then top with sprouts, onions cranberries, and pumpkin seeds.
And for the dressing...
Poppy Seed Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. lemon juice (sometimes I substitute lime)
2 T. dijon mustard
2 T. honey
2 T. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. minced onion or onion powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Blend well by shaking in a jar and allow to sit for about 1/2 hour for flavors to blend. It's best to make it before you begin your salad and periodically give it a good shake. (At least it makes me feel like the flavors are converging that way.)
I'd love to hear some feedback on how you like this "recipe" and how you're incorporating greens into your diet.
This post was linked to Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday