question about greens for smoothies.

[luna99]

hey guys.. quick question.

my husband made some roasted veggies the other day and I noticed he was throwing out the green tops of carrots and turnips and other veggies..can I use those for my green smoothies? is there nutritional value in those?

also, tonight I bought a big bunch of collard greens and just washed and separated them.. I cut the leaves off the stalks... but can I use the stalk part as well in green smoothies? and again, is there good nutritional value in that part of the plant? or is it better just to use the leaf parts?

thanks so much!

[Emma-Liza]

Taste them, and if you like the taste of them, try it! Start with just a bit and add more after you taste it.

I've never liked a green in a smoothie that I don't care for by itself. I don't think the taste of the greens is ever undetectable. But your mileage may vary.

[TaupeRawMan]

I have found the stalks a bit too starchy combined with fruit. Not as far as taste, but digestion.

[Lady Green Jeans]

I always use the whole collard leaf in smoothies. Just cut off the very bottom of the stalk, fold it up and in it goes. Have not tried carrot tops, but turnip greens are awsome. Have put some radish tops in my smoothies and it was good, too. Maybe try a small amt. and see for yourself on the carrot tops. Others here have tried them with success.

[spicyfull]

I eat the Collard Stalks as they are when I take them out for a Wrap. I also add the whole thing to Smoothies.

[luna99]

thanks everyone. Sounds like it just varies for everyone according to taste. I will try a little and see how it is.. I save the stalks of my collard greens just for that reason. I guess I'll do a little research online and see if I can find out about the nutritional value of the stalks and of carrot tops/greens etc..etc.

thanks again!

[luna99]

btw, here's some reading for you guys:

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/recipes.html#tops

about carrot tops/greens: "They ARE edible and are highly nutritive, rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. The tops of the carrots are loaded with potassium which can make them bitter, so the use of them in food is limited. However, it is edible, so you may mix some in with a mixed lettuce salad. You may also use it for garnish. Combine your common sense and your creative skills, and invent something! That's what makes cooking fun. It is a form of art. Carrot greens are high in vitamin K, which is lacking in the carrot itself."

but...

The leaves do contain furocoumarins that may cause allergic contact dermatitis from the leaves, especially when wet. Later exposure to the sun may cause mild photodermatitis. (This is NOT the same as 'poisonous' - it will only affect susceptible people with allergies to the plant. Some people have the same reaction to yarrow, ragwort, chamomile etc.)

There is a distinct difference between toxins and allergens. Carrots (Daucus carota), whether wild or domesticated, are not toxic, they are allergenic. This is like peanuts, which are not toxic but can kill those who are allergic to them.

(that last part scares me though! what if you are allergic and you just don't know it?!? :eek:)

[ArcturusXIV]

Try a small amount first. :) That's what I did with agave...I was worried I was allergic to it, because in my drinking days, I used to have a bad reaction to tequila.