we all know that vegetables They are an essential part of a healthy diet. Not only are they packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but they can also be incorporated into almost every meal.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines 2020-2025 recommends that Americans vary their vegetable intake, noting dark green vegetables as a key category.
Whether you’re folding them into your tortilla, blending them into a smoothie, or sneaking them into a burrito, dark green leafy vegetables they are the perfect vehicle to add nutrients to any dish.
For more information on the best green leafy vegetables to eat every day, we consulted our board of medical experts members Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT and Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFTalso know as The twins of nutrition. Read on to see what these registered dietitians had to say. Then for more healthy eating tips, check out The #1 Best Vegetable for Lowering Blood Sugar.
This leafy green probably isn’t in your usual vegetable rotation, but it should be.
“One of the reasons these greens are so powerful is that help increase the flow of bilebreaking down fats, facilitating digestion and helping the liver, protecting it and helping it filter potentially harmful chemicals of your food,” say the Nutrition Twins.
Packed with antioxidants like beta-carotene, dandelion leaves have been shown to protect against cell damage, which can ultimately help prevent chronic disease. Additionally, its rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin support eye health, while its vitamin C and K content helps promote bone health. And that’s not all these green leafy vegetables can do.
“One of their true superpower qualities is that they are a rich source of prebioticsthanks to its inulin,” says The Nutrition Twin. “They improve intestinal production of ‘good’ bifidobacteriathat helps boost immune function and may even help prevent cancer.”
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Bok choy is a cruciferous vegetablewhich means that it belongs to the same family as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.
“Cruciferous Vegetables reduce cancer risk and contain carcinogen-fighting nutrients like vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, folic acid, and selenium, which have been shown to slow tumor growth,” say The Nutrition Twins.
In addition to being packed with bone-strengthening vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin K, bok choy is rich in quercetin, a flavonoid that has been linked to reducing inflammation and protecting against disease Chronicles.
For a nutrient-rich meal, Nutrition Twins suggests chopping up this leafy green and adding it to a stir fry.
If you’re bored with broccoli, why not try broccoli sprouts?
These leafy greens are 3-5 day old broccoli plants with small green leaves that resemble alfalfa sprouts. While they offer the same number of calories and macronutrients per ounce as broccoli, they contain about 100 times more glucoraphanin.
“…when chewed or cut, [glucoraphanin] becomes the superstar phytochemical sulforaphane, which has powerful anticancer effectsincluding promoting cancer cell death [and] reduce inflammation and susceptibility to cancer-causing toxins,” says The Nutrition Twins. “Sulforaphane increases detoxifying enzymes in the liver, and even may help turn off certain genes involved in cancer.”
This cruciferous vegetable has a slightly tangy and peppery flavor, along with a host of health benefits.
According to a ranked list of “powerhouse fruits and vegetables,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) crowned watercress the most nutrient rich vegetable. This means that it contains the most nutrients in the least amount of calories. Therefore, this green is especially helpful when it comes to disease prevention and weight loss.
In addition, The Nutrition Twins highlights that watercress It contains high amounts of fiber that promotes digestion, vitamin C that supports the immune system, glucosinates that prevent disease, and more.
“One of the highlights of this powerhouse is its vitamin Kan extremely important (and overlooked) critical nutrient for bone health,” says The Nutrition Twins. “Just one cup (34 grams) of watercress provides more than 100% of the [recommended daily intake] for vitamin K.
Since this leafy green is so versatile, Nutrition Twins recommends adding it to salads, soups, stir-fries, and even pizza.
Spinach it’s packed with carotenoids, which help “scavenge” free radicals known to create cell damage, The Nutrition Twins explain. They also point out that research has shown that these green leafy vegetables protect against stomach, colonmouth and esophageal cancers.
As a rich source of potassium, spinach has been linked to lower blood pressure, while its lutein content has been linked to improved cognitive function. And beyond its nutritional benefits, this vegetable boasts a versatile flavor profile.
“Spinach is so soft that it looks like a chameleon and can be mixed with foods such as smoothies and undetectable, making it the perfect vegetable for people who have a hard time enjoying green vegetables,” say The Nutrition Twins.
