St. Patrick’s Day may have come and gone, but I’m still wearing green. I decided to be festive and paint my nails a shade of green, and, since it’s pretty rare that I get around to painting my nails, I have a feeling I’ll be wearing green for quite some time.
While we all associate St. Patrick’s Day with wearing that signature color, with spring beginning this week, I think it’s a great time to make some healthier choices and EAT more greens, too. (Especially if you’ve ended up with an excess of cabbage this week.)
Growing up, I had a love for many a sugary treat (sno-balls, PacMan cereal, Cherry Coke, Swedish Fish, you get the idea). That didn’t stop my mom, however, from trying to sneak a few healthy items into my diet. Some were a disaster (carob! raisins!) and some managed to stick (spinach). I used to get home from school and immediately open and enjoy my favorite afternoon snack: a can of spinach. Not a popular choice for a 2nd grader. I wish I could say this was influenced by Popeye, but I genuinely just loved it. Still do.
Even if spinach is a hard sell for you (or your 2nd graders!), there are plenty of green foods that pack a punch of health benefits. From Brussels sprouts to avocados, kale to artichokes, even green tea can help fight disease and protect your health. So eat up! Here are a few recipe ideas to get you started.
What’s your favorite “green”?