Why is eating greens important? You all hear your parents tell you to eat your vegetables because they're healthy, but did you ever wonder why? The reason why we need veggies is because they're packed with phytonutrients. Those phytonutrients are the vitamins and minerals we need to function properly. Most of us are deprived of those vitamins and minerals, unfortunately, because we don't get enough vegetables. The darker the shade of any color of produce, the more phytonutrients it contains, so shop for the darkest veggies you can find in the stores.
There has been a system created to rank the nutritional value of many different foods. This system is called the ANDI scores, and it ranks foods on a scale of 0 - 1000 (1000 being the healthiest). Leafy greens have the highest scores by far, but you need to remember to eat all the colors you can get. Also, even if a nut or seed has a much lower score than kale, that doesn't mean it's unhealthy! You need a balance of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, good fats, protein, and grains every day. Take a look at this link to see what the ANDI scores of your favorite foods are: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/andi-guide
Onto the recipe! This has to be one of my favorite recipes that I've made in awhile. It only takes about half an hour to prepare, and it's super versatile. You can have it as a side dish, a main dish (recommended), take it in your lunchbox for school, serve it at a large dinner with friends, or bring it on a picnic. I use a wide variety of my favorite greens, from kale to cucumber, but you can always substitute the veggies with lower ANDI scores for veggies of a different color. Do whatever you like; food should be fun, so personalize it!
Serves 7 - 8
Ingredients
1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
1 (12 oz) package frozen edamame (shelled)
3 - 4 large leaves rainbow chard, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 - 4 large leaves kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 medium-sized English cucumber, peeled and diced
1/3 cup sesame oil
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos* (optional)
Pepper, to taste
*If you don't have liquid aminos, then you can substitute with more soy sauce or fish sauce. Just be mindful of the sodium content!
Preparation
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 15 - 17 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
2. Combine the rainbow chard, kale, bell pepper, avocado, green onions and cucumber in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked quinoa and mix well.
3. Rinse the saucepan used for the quinoa thoroughly. Fill it with a large quantity of salted water and bring the water to a boil. Add the frozen edamame and cook according to the directions on the package (mine said to wait for reboil and then cook for five minutes). Remove from heat and drain in a colander.
4. Add the edamame, sesame oil, soy sauce, liquid aminos, and pepper to the serving bowl and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasonings if needed and serve.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Please share this with all your friends and follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media profiles listed below:
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One more thing: I have an Instagram contest going on! If you have an Instagram page related to food, nutrition, health, fitness, vegan or vegetarian lifestyles, or something along those lines, you are eligible to enter my contest! Find a recipe on here that is made with a green vegetable, recreate it, and share your recreation using #teenscancooktoo (tag me as well). Those who enter will be recognized on my account AND I will promote your page on this blog! I'd love to get you all more involved, so I thought this would be a fun way to do it. You have until the end of the month.
Thanks, and stay healthy!
- Madeline
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