What we put into our bodies on a regular basis is the key to better health. Think about it. What we eat literally helps make up our bodies. With each meal and snack our bodies break down, digest and obtain nutrients that are essential for a happy, healthy functioning body. So — this means that the more we fuel our bodies with nutrient dense foods, the healthier we can be. Let’s start with greens. You’ve probably heard how healthy leafy green vegetables are for you, right? But have you really put in an effort to include more of them in your diet? Well, here’s your chance.

DAY 4 CHALLENGE — Eat Green and Be Green.

today’s challenge is a 2-part challenge — lucky you!

part 1 — eat green.

Here’s your challenge — find a way to add more greens into your diet each day.

 why leafy green vegetables?

some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet are leafy green vegetables. Rich in vitamins A, C, K and Folate as well as the minerals Calcium and Iron, green leafy veggies are a great place to start when looking to “health-ify” your diet. And because there is such a variety of leafy greens to choose from, you won’t have a problem getting bored with adding them to your meals.

examples of green leafy vegetables —

• romaine lettuce
• butter lettuce [a personal fave of mine for salads]
• kale [all varieties]
• spinach
• arugula
• collard greens
• swill chard, rainbow chard
• mixed greens

 

simple + delicious ways to incorporate green leafy vegetables into your diet —

r o m a i n e   a n d   b u t t e r   l e t t u c e

both taste best raw

love these 2 greens in salads — romaine adds a nice crunch and butter lettuce is what it’s name implies — it’s buttery and tender [and one of my favorite salad greens!]

you can add either of these greens to smoothies, but I’ve found that romaine can be a bit bitter

k a l e

kales tastes great when roasted to make homemade kale chips [(1) preheat oven to 350º F, (2) remove kale leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces, (3) drizzle and massage with olive oil + pinch of sea salt, (4) bake on parchment paper lined baking sheet for 10-15 minutes until slightly brown and crispy]

sautéed in olive oil, ghee or grass-fed butter for a dinner side dish

massaged with olive oil in salads

great in smoothies, but adds a little bitter flavor

great in stir-frys

sautéed added to scrambled eggs, breakfast hash or egg sandwich

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadilla [sub kale instead of spinach]

delicious added to soups — Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup with Chicken and Kale,  Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale and Sausage Soup

great in juices if you have a juicer — Super Green Juice*

*this is the juicer I use and love

s p i n a c h

this super mild-flavored green leafy veggie is great in smoothies — check out my Super Green Smoothie recipe or add to any of your favorites smoothies

sauté spinach in olive oil, ghee or grass-fed butter and add to scrambled eggs, a breakfast hash or egg sandwich

spinach is great in salads because of it’s mild flavor

add a handful of spinach to taco meat and let wilt

great in stir-frys

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadilla

great in soups — White Bean, Sausage and Veggie Soup

great in juices if you have a juicer [can replace kale with spinach in my Super Green Juice recipe]

a r u g u l a

arugula tastes best raw

love adding to salads for a peppery, bitter flavor

great on sandwiches or wraps

add to leftover lunches [i.e. handful of fresh arugula topped with leftover taco meat, avocado and salsa]

add to egg sandwiches

c o l l a r d    g r e e n s

makes a great side dish

Garlic and Butter Sautéed Collard Greens

s w i s s   c h a r d   a n d   r a i n b o w   c h a r d

add to soups and stir-frys

tastes great in any of the kale and spinach options above

is great juiced if you have a juicer [can replace kale with Swiss or Rainbow Chard in my Super Green Juice recipe]

 

m i x e d   g r e e n s

best eaten raw

great for salads

great added to smoothies but might add a bit of bitterness

love adding to sandwiches and wraps

 

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part 2 — be green.

Just like the food we eat impacts our health — the daily choices we make impact our environment. Each small choice we make each day to protect our environment is a huge step in the right direction. I used to think that I couldn’t really make that big of a difference because it’s me and my choices, but think if we all made some of these small changes — just how drastic the impact on the environment really could be.

here are a few simple environmentally-friendly changes you can make [that will make a difference!]

bring reusable bags to the grocery store — here in the Netherlands you must bring your reusable bags or you have to pay to buy some when you check out. Even at the shopping mall most places will charge you for a plastic bag if you don’t bring your own.

 

don’t use the individual plastic bags for produce — either go without using the produce bags at all [which is what I do] or bring some reusable bags with you.

 

refill the same water bottle [preferably glass] each day instead of buying packs of plastic water bottles.

 

use dish towels instead of paper towels for all of your household cleaning — this was a change I recently made when moving to the Netherlands a year ago. We used to go through more paper towels than I want to even admit, but now that I’ve made the commitment to use only washable towels for cleaning the kitchen, I’ve significantly cut down on my paper towel use.

 

recycle — this one may seem like a duh but many people still don’t recycle. Again, when we moved to the Netherlands I wasn’t the best recycler, but since recycling here is almost like a part-time job, I’ve grown to actually love it. I feel good about the positive impact I’m making by recycling everything that I possibly can. And I’m teaching my two-year-old how to recycle, which is pretty much the coolest thing ever to her!

 

ride your bike or walk instead of driving when possible — this is a great way to both get in some daily movement and decrease your carbon footprint, so it’s a win-win!

 

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Alright, let’s get day four underway! Check your inbox tomorrow for challenge #5. Don’t forget to drink your water, build a healthier plate and move your body each day from here on out!

And if you’ve missed any other challenge days, simply click here.