· By Suja Juice
Top Nutrient Dense Greens

- Mustard Greens. Mustard Greens are definitely one of the more bitter leafy greens out there. The longer you cook it for, the sweeter it will become. It’s also smart to pair it with sweeter, smoother ingredients to even out the flavor profile or with intense spices to help tone down the flavor of the green. We love this Spicy Mustard Green Pesto from The Nourished Kitchen.
- Collard Greens. One of my all time favorite dishes is classic Southern Greens. I’ve been known to eat only this for an entire meal. The combination of the slow cooked, nutrient-dense buttery greens with delicious, (organic & nitrate-free) bacon and red pepper flakes makes this dish irresistible. Especially on a chilly day or as a side to homemade BBQ. This recipe from Meatified is both easy and delicious, full of nutrients and good fats like coconut oil.
- Kale is so versatile that it’s hard to pick just one recipe. For that reason, here are two of my favorites. Like Mustard Greens, kale can be a bit bitter. The trick, like with most greens, is that the longer you cook them, the sweeter they will become. It’s also smart to pair greens with sweet/earthy ingredients to level out the flavor. One of my all time favorite comfort foods is Creamed Kale from The Primal Blueprint. If you don’t eat dairy, no problem, you can sub the butter/ghee for a cooking oil of your choice and substitute the heavy cream for coconut milk! Another one of my favorite kale recipes is for Kale and Avocado salad. I first tried this at Whole Foods and loved it so much that I went online to find the recipe. It looks like I wasn’t the only one trying to recreate it. Check out this recipe from Spatoola.
- Bok Choy. Bok Choy seems to be something many of us are afraid to buy. A lot of us didn’t eat it growing up and we’re not quite sure what to do with it. For a lot of us, the only time we’ve had it is as part of a dish at an Asian restaurant. But wouldn’t it be fun to bring those Asian flavors into your own kitchen? I am obsessed with this Beef “Noodle” Soup from Civilized Caveman Cooking. It uses zoodles (made from zucchini) instead of classic noodles paired with beef, bok choy, shitake mushrooms and other goodies for a delectable, comforting & nutrient-dense dish.
- Napa Cabbage. Napa cabbage is another veggie most people are unfamiliar with. For me, I stay away from gluten and grains and therefore don’t eat any type of bread, cracker, etc. I am always looking for new and healthy ways to wrap up my food so that I can still enjoy the convenience of sandwiches, wraps, spring rolls, etc… just without the bread. The leaves of Napa Cabbage are very sturdy, making them a great alternative for the traditional “wrap”. These Napa Cabbage Spring Rolls are to die for.
- Spinach is one of the most versatile greens out there. You can use it as a salad base, toss it in smoothies, omelets, sauté it with some olive oil and lemon juice… the options are limitless. Because of its mild flavor, I love sneaking spinach into as many dishes as I can. One of my favorite recipes to add spinach to is noodle-less lasagna like this one for Butternut Squash Lasagna from the Paleo Test Kitchen. Not a fan of this recipe? You can sneak spinach into just about any lasagna recipe out there.
- Okay, so I promised I wasn’t going to give any smoothie or salad recipes but it’s pretty hard to talk about arugula without mentioning salad. In fact, arugula is my all time favorite green to use as a salad base and is the base of my all time favorite salad. The salad is so easy to make that you don’t even need a recipe. Simply top raw arugula with fresh raspberries, crumbled pecans, goat cheese and grilled chicken breast. Top with oil and balsamic vinegar and voila! The sweetness of the raspberries and goat cheese pair perfectly with the semi-bitter greens. Don’t eat cheese? No problem. Simply sub the goat cheese for avocado and feel free to go meat-free by omitting the chicken!