What is the best Green leafy food

[solarliving]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering what the best green food is based on nutritional content? I am going to start doing green drinks and I want to use the best vegetable source. Thanks

[tracyinfo]

I don't have an answer for you, but, can suggest what I do, though.

I try to eat a large variety of greens in my shakes. From herbs (parsley, cilantro, etc.) to light greens (lettuces, spinach) to dark greens (kale, collard, mustard etc.). This way if one is higher a vitamin or mineral and another is higher in something else, I am getting the vitamin/mineral on different days.


Blessings.

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering what the best green food is based on nutritional content? I am going to start doing green drinks and I want to use the best vegetable source. Thanks

[Rawkinlocs]

I don't have an answer for you, but, can suggest what I do, though.

I try to eat a large variety of greens in my shakes. From herbs (parsley, cilantro, etc.) to light greens (lettuces, spinach) to dark greens (kale, collard, mustard etc.). This way if one is higher a vitamin or mineral and another is higher in something else, I am getting the vitamin/mineral on different days.


Blessings.

DITTO! I was gonna suggest trying a variety of them too.

[Autumn]

I used to subscribe to Nutrition Action newsletter and they periodically rated veggies based on nutritional content. I can't remember exactly, but #1 and #2 were kale and collards (though not necessarily in that order).

HTH,
Autumn

[solarliving]

Hmm Kale, I have never tried that. Thanks for the suggestions

[RawTruth]

Solarliving,

Victoria Boutenko has been touting kale (and other green leafies) for a while now. This is what she focuses on in her talks lately and is doing research on it so that she can back up what she's found to be true within her family and friends who have been making the famous green smoothies.

There are many threads here that discuss this, including one in which I or someone else (!) posted her handout on green smoothies. You can search and read, if you want to catch up on this knowledge.

Also, there was a recent thread in which her latest newsletter was copies in total. Here is the link:
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4260&highlight=Green+Smoothie

[Jodi]

Concerning greens...do they have to be taken in as a smoothie for best benefits? Or can they be simple eaten in a salad. I don't have a juicer yet, but I do have a smoothie machine.


Jodi

[Revvell]

You can injest them any way you wish. By smoothie, we are not usually talking using a smoothie machine (although, we might be *shrugs*). What most of us mean by smoothie is a fruit and greens blend ~ usually in a VitaMix or other quality blender.

Do the search Jodi. Most of your questions will be answered.

Revvell

[Jodi]

Hi Revvell...I just finished reading the whole thread that was in the link above for the smoothie recipe. Very interesting thread. I think I'm going to try making one in the smoothie maker I have.

I do have one question that was not answered in that thread. As far as mangos. Can I substitute something else for them in the smoothie? Mangos are hard to find at my local store...and when they are there are expensive. I do buy them when I can, but if I start making a green smoothie a few times a week, I know I won't find enough to do that.

I cannot afford a Vitamix right now. (just bought an Excalibur!). But, I have a smoothie machine that I bought at Target which is really just a glorified blender. It makes fruit smoothies so I imagine it would churn up greens as well.

Thanks, Jodi

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Revvell...I just finished reading the whole thread that was in the link above for the smoothie recipe. Very interesting thread. I think I'm going to try making one in the smoothie maker I have.

I do have one question that was not answered in that thread. As far as mangos. Can I substitute something else for them in the smoothie? Mangos are hard to find at my local store...and when they are there are expensive. I do buy them when I can, but if I start making a green smoothie a few times a week, I know I won't find enough to do that.

I cannot afford a Vitamix right now. (just bought an Excalibur!). But, I have a smoothie machine that I bought at Target which is really just a glorified blender. It makes fruit smoothies so I imagine it would churn up greens as well.

Thanks, Jodi

Jodi,

You can really use any fruit you like...doesn't have to be mango, etc. Those are just sample recipes. I usually do strawberries, blueberries, bananas and if I have it, pineapple.

I like to use the more "strongly-flavored" fruits such as the berries for example. Apples, they don't really contribute much of a flavor in smoothies on their own for me personally.

I think your smoothie maker should work just fine. I don't have a Vitamix either...I use a cheap Hamilton Beach blender (my standby until my L'Equip blender gets repaired or replaced by the company) and it works just fine. Might take a little longer to get the greens all blended where there aren't any little pieces of leaves in there.

[VeganVixen]

I LOVE arugala , DINO KALE and swiss chard -YUMM! :)

[Pailani]

I like to use the more "strongly-flavored" fruits such as the berries for example. Apples, they don't really contribute much of a flavor in smoothies on their own for me personally.

I like to use apples, they 'bulk up' a smoothie and sweeten it just enough. Bananas are good, too. I'd probably like blueberries or mangoes in my smoothie even more, but when I have them ripe and ready, I can never bring myself to waste them in a smoothie. :p

[UltrasonicRaw]

i saw the thread on green smoothies and have been making one every morning for about two weeks now, i have my husband hooked on them.

i use:
kale, collards, spinach (combo or just one type)
mix of whatever salad greens i have
sometimes a handfull of micro greens
two bananas (as ripe as i can find)
either one mango or a handfull of berries
few ice cubes, splash of water
mix in the vitamix

it makes two huge smoothies and we are totally addicted to them, they make you feel great for hours. this is something i have been able to give my husband to show him the real "buzz" you feel with raw foods.

leslie

[Revvell]

Have to agree w/ Pailani about mangoes in a smoothy. What a waste! Actually, they never make it to the blender. :D

Revvell

[swingbolder]

>>I try to eat a large variety of greens in my shakes. From herbs (parsley, cilantro, etc.) <<

tracyinfo: what do you mix cilantro with? Does it mix well with certain fruits but not others? I always have an excess of cilantro after I make my guacamole and I hate that it goes to waste but I don't really know what else to do with it. It would be great to be able to throw the whole bunch into my morning smoothie. How much do you use at one time?

[solarliving]

ok, I think I read this in an older thread here about green drinks. Something Vicoria boutenko had claimed? Her moles falling off after drinking her kale smoothie every day for a month. I wonder if anyone has experienced this? One of the reasons I really started thinking about changing my diet is because it seemed like every day a new mole would appear along witht those little red dots. I am not in the sun very much so I couldn't figure out what was happening. I have more moles on my body than I can keep track of and getting them removed is so expensive. If they started falling off, I would call that a miracle. Thanks.

[Rawkinlocs]

Since having gone raw, period (not necessarily after having began drinking green smoothies) my husband had a growth/mole-type thing to fall off of his leg and there is one on his arm that is appearing to be getting ready to shed off as well. He has had these for YEARS!

[jackierr]

I just made a green smoothie with a big handful of kale, handful of grapes, and a kiwi!! It was Delicioussssss:)

[solarliving]

You have really peaked my interest here with the skin mole thing. Can you tell me how long your husband has been raw? How often does he drink those green smoothies as well? I always believed that moles had some sort of nutrient factor. I had even read a potassium deficiency, but nothing is concrete. Thanks so much.

[Carlene]

I'd really like to hear more about the moles. I don't have moles, but my skin has developed dead spots that I'm hoping to heal with raw.

You've just about convinced me to go back to juicing, Rawkinlocs.

[tracyinfo]

I almost always drink the juice of 2 oranges, 1 lemon, 1 banana with any type of greens. The cilantro is delicious by itself in the drink, and also mixed with other greens. One thing I am looking forward to - is the price of organically grown tomatoes going down, so I can try a tomato juice cocktail with celery and cilantro! Maybe add some cayenne to that one!

Blessings.


>>I try to eat a large variety of greens in my shakes. From herbs (parsley, cilantro, etc.) <<

tracyinfo: what do you mix cilantro with? Does it mix well with certain fruits but not others? I always have an excess of cilantro after I make my guacamole and I hate that it goes to waste but I don't really know what else to do with it. It would be great to be able to throw the whole bunch into my morning smoothie. How much do you use at one time?

[Rawkinlocs]

You have really peaked my interest here with the skin mole thing. Can you tell me how long your husband has been raw? How often does he drink those green smoothies as well? I always believed that moles had some sort of nutrient factor. I had even read a potassium deficiency, but nothing is concrete. Thanks so much.

Sorry, I just now saw this post!

Well, first let me say he's not always 100% raw. Sometimes he'll go out to lunch with his co-worker or he'll eat chips from the health food store or he'll eat roasted cashews...but for the MOST part, he's raw and has been eating mostly raw for about...hmmm...maybe a year now I guess, but just in the last 8 months has been a little more diligent about it and not really eating cooked foods that often. The green smoothies, that is fairly recent like a month and a half or so - it was when we went to see Victoria B. here in MI not too long ago that he began drinking them somewhat regularly, taking a large thermos of it to work at least 3-4 days a week.

Yeah, he had these skin growths on him, one on his leg/thigh area and one on his arm. But as I stated, they've been there for years. One day, he called me to look and the one on his leg was gone. He had just kinda lightly scratched it and said it just fell right off like a scab would come off.

The one on his arm is seeming to diminish and he said the appearance of it is similar to how the one on his leg looked right before it came off.

I think I recall reading someone else's testimonial of having been raw for a while and they had moles coming off too...I believe it was someone right here on this board, perhaps in the Photo/Journalling Discussion Forum area.

[Rawkinlocs]

Okay, it was Healthe...in her introductory post in the Welcome/Greet forum, she briefly mentioned her moles popping off:

http://rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4090&highlight=moles

So, maybe you can contact her as well and see if she can share her experiences!

[solarliving]

thanks, that is soooo exciting. I also spoke with a lady yesterday who says someone she knows takes cell food and their moles fell off as well. I am wondering could be the chlorophyll/oxygen to the cells? Either way at least there could be some hope rather than spending thousands of dollars to get them all removed. Honestly it isn't just about aesthetics. I have many on my back and I can't keep track of how they are developing. Today is my 4th day drinking green smoothies and I really like them. I feel so energized. Thanks again.