Are you participating in Veganuary this year (the challenge to eat an entirely vegan diet for the month of January)? Or maybe you’re trying out Dry January (giving up alcohol for the month)? A lot of people want to start the new year off in the best health possible; they may undertake a “detox cleanse.” Once the holidays and all their feasts and treats have passed, it’s probably not a bad idea to help your body “detoxify” afterwards. Eating primarily green food, like vegetables or fruit, is a fantastic way to “detox.” We’ll tell you why you should definitely get on board with this trendy diet – and not just for the month of January.
Eat Green – the current craze for green food
If you want to eat in a particularly healthy way, you should aim for a very “green” diet. The “eat green” or “green lifestyle” trend has been gaining in popularity for several years now. It involves generous helpings of green foods such as fruit or vegetables. So the greener the contents of your fridge, the better!
Let’s take a closer look at a few well-known, trendy green foods such as kale chips, which originate from the United States. Matcha, or matcha tea, which comes from Japan, has also become very trendy in recent years. You can combine it with milk and drink it as a green chai or matcha latte. More than just its striking green color, matcha tea is also notable for its stimulating effect (like coffee) and earthy, bitter, slightly fruity flavor.
Not a big fan of tea? Then here’s a sweet alternative that we’re sure you’ll like: Matcha mini cakes! Click here to find a tantalizing recipe from AMC that’s easy to bake at home. Further down, you’ll find even more delicious green recipes from AMC that you can make yourself
Green for a healthy reason
If you want to eat a balanced diet, there’s no getting around the fact that you’ll need to eat green. Green vegetables are considered some of the healthiest things on any menu, and for good reason. But what’s the secret behind this verdant color and why is it so healthy?
- Lots and lots of fiber. Fiber is what helps your gut flora stay healthy and also aids with digestion.
- Low in calories
- Rich in nutrients: Generally, green vegetables contain a lot of vitamins C, K, B, beta-carotene, and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is also the reason why green vegetables get their color. This substance is produced during photosynthesis in plants. Now when you eat green vegetables, you absorb chlorophyll and other essential vitamins, fiber and minerals. This makes you feel more vital, fit and full of energy.
- Excellent plant-based source of iron, magnesium, and calcium
- Full of antioxidants: Reduces the “oxidative stress” in the body.
So when grocery shopping, make sure to always (or as often as possible) buy plenty of green vegetables. In the next section, we’ve listed a few green foods for you. By the way, green vegetables like broccoli or spinach hold up well when frozen, so you can store them in your freezer for later use. Dare to try green smoothies – they’re not just super healthy, but also ideal for taking with you on the go. There are so many different types of green vegetables that taste great and add a lot of pizazz to tired basics. Green is about to become your new favorite color!
Go Green! Green veggies for your kitchen
Good thing there are so many different types of green foods. But which of them are most important to include on your grocery list? Here’s a list of delicious green veggies we’ve created for you, organized into the following categories: Leafy Greens, Flowers and Fruits, Legumes and Herbs:
- Lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, nettles
- Artichokes
- Green bell pepper, zucchini, avocado, cucumbers
- Broccoli, kale, savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts
- Leek, wild garlic, spring onions
- Beans, pear
- Parsley, basil, dill, mint
In particular, it’s the preparation of artichokes that seems to elude many home cooks (at least for now). This vegetable is more commonly eaten in southern Europe. However, the artichoke should really be getting much more attention than it does, as this green vegetable with its slightly purple shading is not just delicious, but also very healthy. Get ready for spring now, because that's when the artichoke is in season here and you can add this great vegetable to your menu!
Artichokes can be prepared quickly and easily with a steamer, such as the steaming lid EasyQuick from AMC. Combined with the EasyQuick, the pot becomes the ideal steamer and can cook artichokes in just 35 minutes! Below, you will find a delicious recipe with artichokes which you can prepare with the EasyQuick using a quick and gentle steaming method.
We’ll show you how easy it is to incorporate green food into your diet. We’ve put together a diverse selection of tasty green dishes for you to cook with AMC.
