A patient emailed a question . . .
She asked me about including “good for you” leafy greens in her diet.
She just made pesto for the first time with some fresh basil. She likes spinach, but not the other leafy greens, and was looking for a way to get any leafy greens into her diet.
Well, it’s summer, and fruit abounds.
I would like to introduce you to some fruit and leafy green combinations. I found them in the book “Green for Life” when I was looking for different ways to incorporate raw foods into my diet.
I was tired of salads and could only take so much of munching on carrots and jicama and other veggies that I had to chew and chew and chew.
Well, I know for some people the chewing is no big deal, or it is the part that satisfies them. At that point, I just wanting to have it easy, AND have raw veggies.
So, I found the book “Green for Life” by Victoria Boutneko in my local library and perused the recipes. Wow – I found some easy ones that sounded really tasty.
The first thing I did was add a half a head of baby Romaine lettuce to my morning smoothie. It added fiber, and was certainly something I could handle! An easy way to eat salad!
All the following combinations tickled my fancy, and they each make about 1 quart of liquid refreshment.
Blend the ingredients well in an electric blender – no fancy equipment is required!
I have to admit that I have not tried all of these recipes yet, so please send me your reports when you do try them!
Start with an all-fruit, no-sugar version of Lemonade.
Then go on to add Romaine lettuce to fruit smoothies, then try adding other vegetables. If you want to get real adventurous, use some local “weed” greens, like lambsquarters.
I have lambsquarters growing in a half-barrel of organic soil in my yard here in Cottonwood.
These greens are found wild in some parts of the country, and also grow well in a garden. Mine re-seed from year to year. If you would like to start some lambsquarters in your yard, contact me, and I can give you some seeds. You can even get going this year!
Recipes from “Green for Life”
Pink Lemonade
2 cups water- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup strawberries, stems removed
Minty Thrill
4 ripe pears- 4 – 5 kale leaves
- ½ bunch of mint
- 2 cups water
Valya’s Favorite
8 leaves Romaine lettuce- 5 cups watermelon
- 1 cup water
Blueberry Pudding
1 stalk celery- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 banana
- 2 cups water
Strawberry Field
1 cup strawberries- 2 bananas
- ½ head romaine lettuce
- 2 cups water
Kiwi Enjoyment
4 very ripe kiwis- 1 ripe banana
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 cups water
Summer Delight
6 peaches- 2 handsful of spinach
- 2 cups water
Freshness
6 – 8 leaves Romaine lettuce- ½ medium honeydew melon
- 2 cups water
Now, it’s time for you to experiment!
To what can you add that leafy green to enhance all the flavors?
And finally, for those with access to wild greens, try these:
Raw Family Wild Banango
2 cups lambsquarters (wild greens)- 1 banana
- 1 mango
- 2 cups water
Weeds for Kids
- 4 mangos (peeled)
- 1 handful weeds (lambsquarters)
- 2 cups water
Now, let me know your favorites, and how you have experimented in your own kitchen with summer produce!
