Champion Collards
I post a lot about greens. They are one of my favorite foods and rightly so because they are one of the most under eaten and most nutritious.
I posted recently a recipe for collard green burritos and now here are some of a collard's benefits to inspire you more and more and more!
Why eat collard greens?
- Collards are chock full of antioxidants, making them a great food for detoxing.
- Collards are high in fiber, making them a fantastic digestive aid.
- Collard greens help reduce cardiovascular concerns because they are anti-inflammatory.
- The cholesterol-lowering ability of collards was found to be one of the best of all commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables, like kale or broccoli, because of its ability to bind bile acids in the digestive tract and excrete them from the body, lowering of the body's cholesterol level.
- Collards are also noted for their extreme cancer fighting properties: they help lower our cancer risk by supporting our detox and anti-inflammatory systems.
- They are a mean, green, cancer fighting machine! Plus, they're simply yummy in our tummy.
How Can You Eat Collards?
A lot of people are familiar with southern style collard greens. While delicious, that form of preparation may not be the healthiest and utilizing preparation variety with collards is a good idea.
One of my favorite ways to eat collards is raw. They're tender, not too bitter and so large that they work great as a wrap, as a scoop or as a bowl, you name it. I also like collards in a salad, massaged with a little oil and vinegar (maybe with some feta and olives, mmm), and also in lentil soup. Another idea is to experiment with collard chips (instead of kale chips).
I love to get in touch with my food. Really experience it for what it is before cooking it and turning into some elaborate meal with all kinds of spices. Just eating a collard leaf raw is a great way to introduce them into your diet. The bluntness of a raw collard leaf doesn't work for everyone however, so feel free to chop it into a chocolate ball or some lentil soup if that's more your style.