Get festive this holiday season by adding a little green to your plate!  Leafy greens are the #1 missing food from the Standard American Diet, and by not eating them, you are missing out on a lot! Many people don’t know what to do with them, how to cook them or realize that there are more greens out there than just romaine lettuce and spinach!  As my clients know, including greens in your diet is essential to good health, better energy and better digestion. Greens, such as kale, collards, turnip greens, escarole, broccoli rabe, are nutrient powerhouses, loaded with Vitamins A, C, E, K, magnesium, calcium, iron and more.  And these greens actually help to “green” your body by helping to remove toxins and heavy metals from your system. I can’t think of a better holiday present to give your body!

So today, as you prepare your meals, try to include a bit of green in every dish. It’s easier than you think! You can start your day with a spinach and feta cheese omelet.  At lunch, have a vegetarian stir-fry for lunch with colorful vegetables and greens like bok choy and cabbage (serve with brown rice to get your whole grains in too!), or go Italian and order white bean and escarole soup – one of my favorites! For dinner, prepare my simple lemon kale (click here for recipe), and serve alongside chicken and mashed sweet potatoes (see Day 4 for including more sweet vegetables in your diet).  You can also start your meal off with a gorgeous salad with arugula and mixed greens.

Take this one step further and leave Santa some steamed greens instead of cookies this year! He will appreciate the midnight energy boost 😉

Want more ideas? Check out this useful article http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2349860/dark_leafy_greens_add_to_your_diet.html?cat=5