Going green the healthy way

Dawn Earnesty<wilcoxd4@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension, Cheryl McIntosh, CMU Dietetic Intern - February 28, 2015

Add extra green vegetables and fruits to your diet to improve your health.

You may have heard a lot of buzz about going green for the environment, but can you go green for your health? Of course you can! Michigan State University Extension suggests adding more green vegetables and fruits to make a powerful impact on your health.

Green vegetables pack a powerful punch in terms of nutrition. They have a low amount of calories and are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, water and phytochemicals.

Here are some suggestions on ways to add green into your routine:

Add green leafy vegetables, like spinach, romaine lettuce or green cabbage to the top of your sandwich.
Add cucumbers, green onions, green peppers and kale to a variety of foods. This allows you to pack in the ingredients without packing on the calories.
Add some slices of avocado to a salad or wrap.
Top your egg sandwich with some spinach or avocado slices.
Stuff your omelet with green pepper and spinach.
Add some spinach or kale to your breakfast smoothie
Puree greens and add them into your sauces, casseroles and soups.

Do not forget about the green fruit!

Try snacks like apples, grapes, limes, kiwi and honey dew melon.
Add limes or lemon slices to your glass of ice water or tea.

Avocado, pineapple, banana smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 avocado peeled and pitted

1 – 6 ounce container plain or vanilla non-fat yogurt

1 banana peeled

1/2 can crushed pineapple with juice

Granola (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until desired smoothness.

Adding green color into your diet can be easy and does not have to cost a fortune. For more information please visit http://msue.anr.msu.edu/topic/info/food_health to view programs and educational opportunities.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).