Greens should be part of any healthy diet. Here are some creative ways to eat your greens

Tuesday I had the pleasure of teaching a webinar with my friend and colleague Candace Heer, family and consumer sciences educator in Morrow County. As members of the Ohio State University Extension Food Preservation Team, we are teaching Savoring Ohio Produce webinars from May through September on a variety of Ohio-grown produce.

I have to admit, when I was asked if I wanted to develop a presentation about greens, I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my seat. But, Candace and I have concluded there is more variety and versatility in serving greens than I imagined.

The most common greens available to us in Ohio include spinach, leaf lettuce, kale, endive, escarole ​and leaves from mustard, turnip, beet, broccoli, dandelion and collard plants.​​

Greens are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, E and K.​ Greens are high in folate, potassium, iron, calcium and fiber.​ They also contain phytonutrients that may help prevent cancer and heart disease.​ Kale, spinach and turnip greens are high in lutein, a phytonutrient that may reduce the risk of age-related eye disease.​

Keep fresh, unwashed greens in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator with the setting to high humidity. They should last three to five days. Thoroughly wash under running water before consuming to reduce the risk of illness from pathogenic microorganisms like E. coli.

Greens are tasty either sautéed in a small amount of olive oil or then further braised in a small amount of broth or water to increase tenderness. Kale chips are an easy and popular way to add greens to your diet. Though not quite like a potato chip, kale chips still are an easy snack with a light, crisp texture and can be flavored in a variety of ways.

Simply wash and dry a bunch of kale and tear the leaves into bite size pieces. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and lightly spray with olive oil. Sprinkle on a small amount of salt. You could optionally sprinkle a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and/or ground black pepper.

My favorite serving discovery is a savory muffin that combines veggies, berries and sharp cheddar cheese. Candace adapted this recipe from fortheloveofbreakfast.com by adding in spinach and blueberries, making a delicious savory snack. The recipe yields 12 muffins. 

Savory Green Muffin Recipe

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter

2 eggs, beaten

¼  cup milk

½  cup of thawed and mashed frozen peas

½ cup chopped fresh spinach

¼  cup fresh chopped mint

½  cup grated (sharp) cheddar cheese

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup blueberries or raspberries

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

Prepare muffin pans with cooking spray or liners. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream butter, then gradually add the beaten eggs.

Mix in the milk, peas, spinach, mint and grated cheese.

Add the flour and berries and gently mix to combine the ingredients. Do not over mix.

Fill muffin pans about three-quarters full.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and skewer comes out clean.

Serve warm or cold with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

There is still time to catch a Savoring Ohio Produce webinar this summer. All online classes are from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays. Topics are beans on June 28, peaches on July 26, corn on Aug. 9, melon on Aug. 23, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower on Sept. 6 and potatoes on Sept. 20. Register for the free programs at go.osu.edu/2022foodpreservationwebinarseries or watch recorded webinars anytime at go.osu.edu/foodpreservationrecordings.

Today I’ll leave you with this quote from Bill Maher: “Someone has to stand up and say that the answer isn't another pill. The answer is spinach.”

Emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 740-622-2265.