Leafy Greens Guide: Benefits of Spinach, Kale and More (Plus How to Eat Them)

Almost everyone agrees they should eat more greens. The hard part is that a bag of spinach often turns to slime in the fridge before it gets used. This guide is about the second part: which greens to buy, what each one is good for, and how to actually eat them.

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Why Leafy Greens Are Worth It

• Lots of nutrients for very few calories. Dark greens are rich in vitamin K, folate, vitamin A (as beta-carotene), and vitamin C.
• Minerals: spinach and other dark greens add magnesium, potassium, and some iron and calcium. Cooked spinach is one of the top magnesium foods in our magnesium-rich foods guide.
• Fiber and volume: greens make meals bigger and more filling without adding many calories.
• Part of every healthy eating pattern: from Mediterranean-style eating to the US Dietary Guidelines, dark green vegetables show up as a group to eat every week.

Which Leafy Green Should You Buy?

Green	Taste and texture	Best way to use it
Spinach	Mild, soft	Smoothies, eggs, pasta, soups (it shrinks a lot when cooked)
Kale	Earthy, chewy	Massaged salads, soups, baked chips
Romaine	Crisp, watery	Salads, wraps, burger “buns”
Arugula	Peppery	On pizza, grain bowls, with fruit and cheese
Swiss chard	Mild, slightly salty	Sautéed with garlic, in frittatas
Collard greens	Hearty, firm	Braised, sliced thin into slaws, as wraps

7 Easy Ways to Eat More Leafy Greens

1. Blend them: a big handful of spinach disappears into a fruit smoothie. Try one of our easy vegan smoothies.
2. Wilt them into everything: stir spinach or chard into soup, pasta sauce, or curry in the last 2 minutes.
3. Massage kale: rub chopped kale with a little olive oil, lemon, and salt for 1 minute. It turns soft and much less bitter.
4. Add them to eggs: spinach scrambles and frittatas are an easy breakfast win.
5. Use greens as a base: put leftover chicken, beans, or grains on a bed of arugula or romaine.
6. Sauté with garlic: 3 minutes in a hot pan with olive oil, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon. Simple and good.
7. Keep frozen spinach on hand: it is already washed and chopped, and it never wilts in the fridge.

Greens also fit perfectly into soups; the spinach and white bean soup in our healthy soup recipes is a good place to start.

How to Store Greens So They Last

• Wrap washed and dried greens in a paper towel and keep them in a container or bag in the crisper drawer.
• Do not store them wet. Moisture is what makes them slimy.
• Use tender greens (spinach, arugula) first, and hearty ones (kale, collards) later in the week.
• Rinse unwashed greens under running water before eating, even if you plan to cook them.

One Note on Vitamin K

Leafy greens are very high in vitamin K. That is a good thing for most people, but if you take a blood thinner such as warfarin, your doctor will likely ask you to keep your vitamin K intake steady from day to day rather than eating a lot one week and none the next. Check with your doctor if this applies to you.

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