How do I turn leafy greens from "ugh" to "meh"?

GetNew81

For most of my life, I never ate leafy greens. I don't enjoy eating them, but I need to add more into my diet to reach my goals.

Right now, whenever I have a salad, it's usually hearts of romaine, a few cherry tomatoes and a homemade white wine vinaigrette (http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/white-wine-vinaigrette-10000001608782/index.html). The dressing is nice but as a whole, it's a boring salad. I also eat spinach the same way. Again, very boring.

Do any of you have recommendations of recipes, cookbooks or blogs that can help me find ways of making leafy greens, well, at least palatable? I would really appreciate the help.

Thanks.

KANGOOJUMPS

enjoy with a nice bottle of wine,,,, or 2.

GetNew81

LOL Great advice, except I don't drink alcohol. :-)

SonyaCele

kale and spinach smoothie! green machines. add banana, apple juice, blueberries, yogurt, whatever you want . They are delicious!

HealthierFoodie

Smoothies! I have spinach and kale in my smoothies, made with a NutriBullet, every morning and you can't taste the greens at all. Or try adding more fun stuff to your salads like nuts, seeds, hard boiled eggs, fruit, etc.

luckydays27

Hidden Valley Ranch dressing makes everything better.

I would take a 30 min walk to burn the cals and have ranch dressing if my salad was that boring.

AllonsYtotheTardis

i'm no help. I hate lettuce. So I eat other veggies instead.

leaellenj

Blend them into a smoothie!

90% of the time I loathe salads. To get more greens I blend kale, spinach or arugula into my morning smoothies which go something like this-

Big handful o' greens
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Protein powder or 2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 banana
1/2 cup berries
Ice


I mix up my fruits depending on what I have or what sounds good. The smoothie usually looks like muck but it tastes delicious!

tlou5

One of my favorite salads is greens, grilled chicken, slivered almonds, mandarin oranges, and strawberries

Another is grilled chicken, crumble a few funions and a little BBQ sauce mixed into ranch dressing with mixed greens

Third favorite is greens with grilled chicken (are you seeing a pattern here hehe) FRESH chunky salsa and feta cheese


I would love to see some new salad recipes too as I seem to eat those three or a taco salad as my main "green" recipes

Lizzy622

I like adding strawberries and walnuts to spinach salad. Grilling or lightly sautéing changes the flavor also. And of course everything tastes better with bacon but be careful how much.

bennzz61

Try mixing it up a little. I prefer arugala for my salad greens. They are a little bitter and last all week if I put a piece of paper towel in their mix so that they don't go mushy. Try adding in some dried cranberries or craisins as they are called today. Also, I like to dice up a few dried plums/prunes. I also like to add red onions, kalamata olives, brocoli florets and other veggies. The sweet berries or prunes and the salty olives along with any hot jalapeno peppers, etc., make for a nice contrast.

You can also add arugala to sandwiches or mix it into a hot pasta dish, it won't go limp right away.

Warchortle

Wrap bacon around them.

cici1028

Try juicing! I hate salad and find that juicing lets me put all those nasty greens into a drink form (with an apple for some sweet!)

Failing that, I really enjoy mixing spinach in with pastas or Indian curries. You could also try a kale salad with sesame seeds, some oil and vinegar! Good to go.

_noob_

bacon fat

Event_Horizon975

Blend them into a smoothie!

90% of the time I loathe salads. To get more greens I blend kale, spinach or arugula into my morning smoothies which go something like this-

Big handful o' greens
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Protein powder or 2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 banana
1/2 cup berries
Ice


I mix up my fruits depending on what I have or what sounds good. The smoothie usually looks like muck but it tastes delicious!

Exactly! If you throw a big handful of spinach into a smoothie, I swear you will NOT taste it at all but get all the great benefits from it since it's still raw. You can do the same with a lot of other veggies too in a smoothie - some alter the flavor a bit but they're still palatable & it's fun to experiment (btw - I only use a blender not a juicer)

cwolfman13

maybe put some more stuff in the salad...yeah...lettuce or greens and tomatoes would get pretty flippin' boring. I'd personally suggest throwing some poultry, meat or fish in there and getting some protein first of all. Then some colorful veggies like sweet peppers...maybe some radish or something. Add some cucumber and a few kalamata olives...maybe a little goat cheese. I would just want to shoot myself in the head just eating lettuce and tomatoes...there's just not enough nutrition there.

Jlbland123

I don't know if you meant salads exclusively, but I like to use integrate leafy greens into lots of different foods. For example, I add spinach to egg white omelets or scrambled eggs. Instead of normal lettuce, I use leafy greens on sandwiches. I can usually get at least a cup or two in this way. I am also a fan of green smoothies. When blended with something like pineapple or key lime juice, I find that the spinach, kale, etc. is very manageable, and even tasty. I know salads can get boring after awhile, but maybe you can try adding the greens to more unexpected items for some variety.

mamacita721

Buy a NutriBullet and drink them. I drink 2 -3 cups of leafy greens a day. Just add some frozen mango or strawberry and you wont taste a thing.

SonicDeathMonkey80

Heated pan, olive oil, minced garlic. Add greens, saute til wilted.

UsedToBeHusky

I love leafies!

But a really yummy salad is some canned tuna with salsa on top. Very good stuff!

conniemaxwell5

The lettuce / greens are just a canvas. You can be super creative with salads and make them taste great. Of course you'll need to account for the calories of anything you add. Use any one or a combination of these on your salad:

Add 3 oz diced boneless, skinless chicken breast (grilled or boiled)
Add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for added protein and crunch.
Use 1/4 of a ripe avocado instead of dressing.
Add drained, rinsed black beans.
Use salsa instead of dressing.
Add a tablespoon of dried cranberries.
Use more veggies like carrots, cucumbers, beets, peppers, chopped broccoli, etc.
An over easy egg makes a great salad dressing.
Add diced, boiled egg.
Try mixing greens for different textures and flavors. I like a combination of romaine, arugula and spinach.
Add 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
Add diced or sliced apple.
Add berries.

flyingwrite

My favorite greens recipe is called "Gratineed Swiss Chard". Take any similar green (kale, especially dinosaur, spinach, etc) and boil it, press all the water out and stick it in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle a little bit of Olive Oil and Parmesan cheese over top: (1-2 T of cheese) depending on how many greens you have. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts. SO good. No, this isn't a salad, but I like my leafy greens cooked. This makes an awesome side dish. Good luck!

BeachIron

One word: "Cheese"

lithezebra

I make salade nicoise out of hearts of romaine by adding tuna, olives, homemade vinaigrette, hard boiled egg, and tomatoes. Other greens, like chard and mustard, can be added to soup, especially soups with a tomato based broth. I especially like cooked greens with cheese and olives, in omelettes, and other main dishes. It isn't low fat, but it is a way to add a serving or two of green vegetables to a meal. By the time you add a salad, some tomatoes, or soup, or a veggie side dish, you've eaten most of your recommended vegetable matter (and I say that with a shudder) for the day.

P.S. Greens all taste horribly bitter to me, and I can taste them in smoothies. Cheese, olives, tomatoes, and creamy/eggy casseroles tame the bitterness.

atsteele

Maybe just make a point to try out a new veggie in your salad each week?

Here's a link for summer salad ideas. Modify recipes as needed to keep it healthy and something you will enjoy. http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/cool-summer-salads-00400000046866/

shutupandlift13

Don't eat them?

Find other vegetables you do enjoy eating. The only one I really eat is spinach and that's pretty rare... and its usually sauteed in some type of fat with garlic and then stuffed into chicken breast, pork chops or burgers with cheese.

Amitysk

I've been into taco salads lately. Just take some left over taco meat, scoop it over romain lettuce and then top with favorite taco toppings like sour cream, salsa and shredded cheese!

NonnyMary

I like spinach because its mild tasing, but i dont like kale or anything bitter.

spinach tastes good with lemon on it.

asparagus - dont overcook it ,, if you grill it or steam it ,, it looks pretty. and tastes good.

mix any leafy greens ina soup or stew.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Can I ask why you are wanting to add other leafy greens to your diet? Is it to boost Vitamin A? Fiber? Because you've been told to eat more greens?

Vitamin A. Romaine lettuce is an excellent source. As is green leaf. If you have a salad made with 2 cups or either, you've hit your daily goal.

What I do to take these from "ugh" to "meh" is to add all the other veggies that I love. Red bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, mushrooms, diced onion, herbs like cilantro, radishes, some blanched beets, avocado, green beans, edamame, etc.......

If you don't like kale, chard, or dandelion greens, don't add it to your diet. Get your nutrition through the hundreds of other fruits and veggies you love.

Then use BoltHouse Farms yogurt based dressings.

GetNew81

I don't have any one specific goal in mind. I've read that they are filling and they often have nutrients the body needs. So I just figured if they are nutritious and help with weight loss then I should probably be eating them.

EatClean_WashUrNuts

Special Sauce...need some?