Katie is at the grocery store way to much to mention (she not so secretly loves it there!).  Recently, she has been talking about the scoring systems that have popped up and what it all means.  For the sake of a rhyme and solid nutrition advice…the numbers have spoken and we should, in fact, continue to eat our greens!

There are several nutrient/food rating systems on the market but for the sake of this post we will introduce you the the “ANDI” System (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index).  If you are a whole foods shopper you may have seen it.  It determines how nutrient rich our food is.  This system, created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, breaks each food down by how many nutrients per calorie it contains. We are warned that we cannot live on the winning foods alone because we need a diversity of food components like small amounts of fat. It would, however, be wise to add top rated foods to your diet and we second that as some of the highest scoring foods are in fact…our favorites…greens!!

Here are the 10 most nutrient dense foods and what you can do with em!

1. Collard greens 1000- Out of all the greens in the cabbage family, collards have the greatest cholesterol-lowering abilities. They also have amazing anti-cancer properties, are packed with Vitamin C, soluble fiber, and many other vitamins and minerals.  Try sauteing them with a little olive oil, onions and garlic.  They are the healthiest side out there!

2. mustard greens 1000 As you may have guessed, the seeds from the mustard plant are what we use to make the condiment we are so familiar with.  These amazing greens also taste like mustard and are a great addition to any Asian stir-fry.

3. turnip greens – 1000 While most of us jump at the chance to cook up some turnips, turnip greens have often been forgotten about.  These greens have a similar mustardy taste to mustard greens and are great for braising, added to a soup or thrown into a stir fry.
4.  Kale – 1000 Kale is actually the same plant as collards, just a different variety, and many of us have learned to love it! Kale is great sauteed on its own, massaged with olive oil into a tender salad, or seasoned with salt, pepper and olive and baked into chips!
5. Watercress – 1000 Watercress is an aquatic or semi-aquatic green with a nice peppery taste in the same family as all of the previously mentioned greens. Because of it’s great health properties it is in many ancient legends.  Just one example is Roman emperors eating it to help with bold decisions.  Throw watercress on a salad, in a sandwich or wilt it into pasta and enjoy!
6. Bok Choy – 824   Bok Choy is a great Asian green found in many Chinese recipes.  They have thin leaves on thick stems.  They are therefore great stir-fried with broccoli, carrot, water chestnuts, oyster mushrooms, etc. so their stems have time to cook down and become tender.
7. Spinach – 739 Spinach had its heyday with Popeye- but we’re still lovin’ it! Spinach is a nice tender green that can be used in a variety of ways.  Use it as a layer in lasagna, mix it with ricotta for stuffed shells or manicotti, chop it up and put it in pasta sauce, or just sauté it up with some garlic as a side dish.  Yum!
8. Brussels Sprouts – 672 Brussel sprouts are one of the coolest looking plants when you see them in the field.  They spiral up a thick stem and look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.  One trick I learned for eating them is to sauté them in orange juice.  Or try roasting them with olive, salt, pepper and little maple syrup.
9. Swiss Chard – 670 Swiss chard is one of the most beautiful greens, especially if you get the kind with the rainbow colored stems!  Chard is actually related to spinach and can be used similarly- on pasta, sauteed, on a sandwich- the possibilities go on!
10. Arugula – 559 Arugula, also known as rocket is another peppery green, like watercress, that is a great flavor addition to any dish.  Replace lettuce with arugula on a sandwich or in a salad or we love to use it in pesto, lasagna and egg dishes…yum! Not only will the flavor improve, the nutrient level will sky rocket!

What is your favorite green and how do you use it?

By devorah ketai