Making Leafy Greens Convenient with On-the-Go Options
Leafy green vegetables provide a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants essential for good health. However, incorporating sufficient servings into busy modern lifestyles proves challenging for many people. Thankfully, several tasty, nutritious and convenient greens on the go options now exist for boosting daily vegetable intake.
Significance of Leafy Greens in a Healthy Lifestyle
Regularly eating leafy greens provides incredible health and disease protection benefits. These vitamins and nutrient dense foods help:
- Lower risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer
- Improve digestion and gut health
- Build stronger bones and muscles
- Boost brain function and mood
- Increase energy levels and cell regeneration
Despite the advantages of generously incorporating greens, only about 8% of Americans eat enough vegetables daily. Having easy, on-the-go greens options helps remove barriers to reaping rewards from nature’s superfoods.
Challenges of Working Leafy Greens In
Busy schedules and eating away from home prevents many people from consuming regular greens. Long prep and cook times along with short freshness windows also deter vegetable usage. And some common greens available have fairly bitter, tough textures. Thankfully, advancements now provide more greens on the go possibilities.
New Greens On the Go Products
Exciting new packaged greens products help you conveniently get several servings a day, even with a busy, on-the-go lifestyle. You can now find useful prepped produce like:
Pre-Washed Greens
Bagged, pre-washed and dried greens eliminate tedious rinsing and drying steps. Popular mixes include spring mix, baby spinach, arugula, kale and cabbage. These stay fresh longer and simply get incorporated into recipes or served as ready to eat salads.
Flash-Frozen Greens
Freezing greens like kale, collards, Swiss chard or mustard right after harvesting locks in nutrients. Bags of frozen greens simply get tossed into soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes and more for a quick veggie boost.
Dehydrated Greens Chips
Dehydrating spinach, kale, beet and carrot greens concentrates flavors and textures into crispy chips. These grab and go crunchy snacks add vitamins and minerals on road trips, packing lunches, at desks or wherever your day takes you.
Greens Powders
Processing greens like wheatgrass, alfalfa and barley grass into powders preserves nutrients in an ambient stable form. Simply mix these into smoothies, juice, water, yogurt bowls and baked goods to conveniently boost nutrition.
Best Greens for On-the-Go Nutrition
While all leafy greens provide health advantages, some offer superior nutrition and convenience for an on-the-go lifestyle. The top picks include:
Spinach
This leafy green giant delivers Vitamin K for blood and bone health. It also provides the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin promoting eye health. Use pre-washed spinach or add frozen into any dish for a quick and easy nutrition boost.
Kale
Kale serves up high doses of Vitamins A, C and K along with important antioxidants. Curly green kale varieties work well frozen or dehydrated into chips. Red and white kale also add visual appeal and a flavor change up to meals and snacks.
Arugula
This crisp, peppery salad green features in pre-washed mixes or blends nicely with other greens. Arugula contains special phytochemicals that may help lower cancer and virus activity in the body. It adds delightful flavor and health protection wherever it goes.
Swiss Chard
The colorful stems and leafy greens of rainbow chard provide unique visual appeal. Packed with antioxidants and immunity boosting nutrients, it excels frozen or fresh in portable meals. Chard’s slightly more mild flavor also agrees with picky eaters.
Tips for Adding Greens On-the-Go
Taking advantage of the many greens on the go options allows you to easily get 2 to 3 servings (4-6 cups) of veggies daily even with a busy schedule. Strategically incorporate prepped greens into your routine with these simple suggestions:
Breakfast Boosters
Add big handfuls of fresh spinach, kale or arugula into morning smoothies, scrambles, frittatas, oatmeal or yogurt bowls.
Lunch Upgrades
Include pre-washed greens or defrosted veggies into sandwiches, wraps, grains bowls, soups and salads. Greens powders and dehydrated chips also travel well.
Snack Time Add-Ins
Keep a stash of greens chips or powders at your desk, in the car, or in your bag to sprinkle onto snacks and meals when hunger hits.
Effortless Side Dishes
Bags of frozen greens require zero prep. Simply steam or sauté with olive oil, garlic, lemon and spices for quick nutrient side dishes to pair with any meal.
With so many greens on the go items now available, you no longer need to sacrifice nutrition or settle for boring iceberg lettuce to stay satisfied and healthy. Embrace the convenience!
FAQs
Why are greens on the go products useful?
Bagged pre-washed greens, frozen greens, dehydrated chips and powders make getting daily vegetables more convenient with busy lifestyles. They remove prep work and have longer shelf lives.
What are some examples of greens on the go items?
You can now find pre-washed spring mix, baby spinach, kale, arugula and cabbage mixes. There's also flash frozen kale, chard, collards for adding into meals. Dehydrated spinach, kale and beet chips provide crunchy convenience. And greens powders are easy to transport and mix in anywhere.
Which greens are best for portable nutrition?
Spinach, kale, arugula and Swiss chard offer exceptional nutritional profiles and convenience. Their flavors, textures and formats like pre-washed bags, frozen or chips make nutrient-dense greens easy to eat on-the-go.
What are easy ways to add greens on-the-go each day?
Add big handfuls of greens into morning smoothies and meals. Include frozen greens or pre-washed mixes into lunches and snacks. Keep greens chips and powders on hand to sprinkle onto anything. Sauté frozen greens as quick side dishes to pair with dinners.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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