In Living Color: GREEN

Kermit the Frog said it best - it's not easy being green.  However, it is easy eating green.  Green vegetables are one of the most inexpensive ways of getting so many important nutrients our bodies need - and I swear to you, cooked well, all greens are delicious.

We eat something green with every single meal we have.  Sounds daunting, but cooking with green veggies is the cheapest, quickest, and healthiest way to add awesome to your meals.  Whether mild, earthy, peppery, tart, or tangy - greens can thrill your palate.

Greens are super high in dietary fiber, contain little to no fat when prepared well, not to mention rich in folic acid, vitamins A and C, potassium and magnesium - to name a few.  Leafy greens especially contain a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals.  Greens contain calcium and iron, and lead the market in available vitamin K.

My greatest secret, and best advice for green truck - LEMON.  If it's green, it tastes better with lemon...  I steam greens all the time, take them out, squeeze lemon on them, and serve them to guests who rave "why do these taste so good, I usually hate kale but this is great!" For a heartier green prep, use olive oil in a pan, garlic, s&p, and lemon - sautee and enjoy.

If you become tired of spinach, asparagus, and broccoli, try something more exotic.  You'll find greens in your local produce section you may not recognize - bring them home, steam them, lemon them - see how they taste.  I love swiss chard, flowering kale, beet greens, and sweet pea tendrils.  Kale happens to be a favorite of mine, full of folate your body needs to regenerate DNA.

In cold dishes, when lettuce bores you, reach for endive, cabbage, or arugula.

Toss sprouts on a salad or sandwich, add green peppers to spice your dishes.  Try green beans, string beans, wax beans, and Chinese beans.  Broccolini is great for Italian meals, celery adds crunch to stir frys and soups.  Artichokes on the grill are so yummy.  There are so many options to try, and for the same amount you'd throw in a vending machine for a snack.  Get some green today!

Never forget Brussels sprouts.  Never.