How to Keep Leafy Greens Fresher Longer

Don’t you just hate it when you attempt to buy a healthy batch of vegetables at the grocery store, only to have them go bad before you can even eat them? By using these simple tips, you can learn how to prolong the lifespan of your veggies and keep your greens fresher for longer.

  • Don’t leave leafy greens on the counter. While many types of produce (such as apples and potatoes) are okay when left out in the kitchen, leafy greens are much delicate and require cooler temperatures for safekeeping.
  • Wash them. As soon as you get your greens home, wash them with an all-natural vegetable cleanser and dry with a salad spinner to remove any chemicals, dirt, or pests.
  • Remove bad leaves. If you notice any brown spots on your greens, carefully remove them to prevent them from spoiling the whole bunch.
  • Don’t store them on a shelf in the refrigerator. Because everything in your refrigerator is not created equally, greens cannot by stored in the same way as, say, Chinese food leftovers. Instead, place them in the designated crisper drawer.
  • Plan how you’ll eat them. To prolong their lifespan further, plan to eat fresh salads using greens first and sauté or stir fry them once they near their wilted phases.

Leafy Greens [FreshDirect.com]
How to Store Leafy Greens in the Fridge [The Sprouting Seed]
How to Store Your Leafy Greens to Make Them Last Longer [Eat Local 365]

How to Get More Folic Acid in Your Diet

Folic acid stimulates cell growth and regeneration, enhances red blood cell creation, and even prevents against depression, which is important for people of all ages. Pregnant women benefit even further from folic acid because it prevents against fetal deformities. If you want to take advantage of the many benefits of folic acid, here are a few of the best food sources.

  1. Dark, leafy greens. Dark green colored vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are some of the very best sources of folic acid, and even just one large salad filled with these leafy foods can provide you with enough folic acid for the entire day. Spinach is especially beneficial, as it contains 65% of your daily value in only one cup.
  2. Citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruits, and other citruses have more folic acid than all other types of fruits. One papaya alone offers 115 mcg of folic acid, which is about 29% of the average person’s recommended daily intake.
  3. Beans, peas and lentils. While not all of these foods are high in folic acid, there are a few beans, peas, and lentils that contain impressively large quantities of the B-complex vitamin. Lentils are especially high in folic acid, containing over 90% of your daily intake in just one cup. Pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans are also very good sources.

Surprising Sources of Folic Acid [Yahoo! Shine]
Foods High in Folic Acid [Prenatal Vitamin HQ]
15 Foods High in Folic Acid [Global Healing Center]
18 Foods High in Folic Acid to Prevent Cancer & Birth Defects [Bembu]

Three Recipes for a Healthier You

Whether you have just a few minutes or a whole hour to spend, cooking at home can be just as delicious as eating out. Health.gov offers a list of more than 100 different recipes for heart-healthy dishes for every meal of the day, all with less sodium, saturated fat and calories than many foods.

Here are a few favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner:

Applesauce Pancakes
Just because you’re trying to eat well doesn’t mean you have to give up pancakes. Including a whole serving of fruit and using low-fat ingredients, this healthy recipe for applesauce pancakes may just delight the whole family.

Tuna Salad
Traditional tuna salads are high in saturated fat, but this one uses only tuna and a few flavorful ingredients to create an equally delicious, stripped down version. Full of celery, onions and low-fat mayonnaise, this may just become your new favorite sandwich spread.

Chicken Marsala
The Italian food dish gets a healthy makeover in this delicious and nutritious dinner recipe. Using the savory flavors of chicken stock, Marsala wine and fresh lemons, this dish offers flavor without empty calories!

Find more healthy recipes by visiting Health.gov.

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