Collard greens. They are beautiful yet easily forgotten. Recently I made a promise to myself that when I am buying food, I will pick vegetables that I haven’t had in a while. So I pick you, collard greens, to give you the respect that you deserve.
Collard greens go way out of their way to prove how good they are for you with the amount of vitamins and minerals they provide. They have “more than your daily allotment of vitamins K and A, 1,045 percent and 308 percent of the daily required recommendation, respectively, for strong bones, inhibited neuron damage, sharp eyesight, and mucous membrane protection.
And if that’s not enough, collard greens also provide 58 percent of the vitamin C, 44 percent of the folate, 41 percent of the manganese, and 27 percent of the calcium needed on a daily basis. What’s incredible is that the nutrients don’t stop there. Impressive amounts of vitamin B6, magnesium, riboflavin, and iron are part of the bargain, offering more nutritional benefits than the average plant-based food.
One of the most amazing things about collard greens is that they can actually lower your cholesterol when you eat them – more than any other crucifer, which beats out kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. The key is its ability to bind to bile acids in the digestive system, which makes it easier for them to exit the body” (Source).
Now since you probably just added collard greens to your grocery list, here are the other ingredients you can add as well!
Ingredients (The Spread):
2 garlic cloves
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup miso
juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tbsp
1/4 cup water
Ingredients (The Wrap):
collard green leaves
avocado slices
red pepper slices
thin carrot slices
sprouts
This could not be an easier or faster recipe to make. For the spread, just throw all of the ingredients into a food processor.
To prepare the wrap, wash and cut the collard greens down the stem. One collard leaf should make two pieces after you cut it. You will use everything except the stem so just cut that long thick stem out and compost! Cut your veggies: avocado, carrots and red pepper into thin slices.
- Layer the spread on the lighter side of the collard greens. One side should be darker than the other.
- Place the veggies on one side of the collard greens, you are going to roll the collard green like a burrito so make sure the veggies are placed flat.
- Ta-da! Enjoy your colorful vitamins!
PS- Thank you to Anita Capizzi for this recipe 🙂
