The arrival of the cold coincides with the appearance of a wide variety of green leafy vegetables packed with antioxidant vitamins, minerals and folic acid.
Spinach
Spinach has an intense green that reveals an exceptional nutritional contribution, especially if eaten raw. A good option is, therefore, to take advantage of its young leaves in salad, accompanied for example by mushrooms and olives.
They are reputed to be very rich in iron (and it is true: 4.1 mg / 100 g) but they also provide many other nutrients that are easier to assimilate and in higher amounts than other vegetables.
A serving of 200 grams more than meets the daily needs of vitamins A, C and folic acid. It also offers abundant potassium, calcium, magnesium and other B vitamins.
Canons
The lamb’s lettuce remembers newly sprouted shoots for their shape, vitality and freshness.
Until recently, they were barely paid attention to, but today they brighten up many salads with their sweet nutty background and velvety texture. They prefer mild seasonings, added at the last minute.
They are rich in the three antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E) and vitamins of the B group. Of its mineral content, potassium, iron and iodine stand out.
Its round green leaves, arranged in a bouquet, apparently aroused the interest of the Renaissance clergy. Hence its name “grass of the canons”.
Endives
Endive (Cichorium endivia) is a variety of chicory native to Belgium, grown in the dark or under peat and sand, which gives it its white color.
Its appreciated bitterness has a subtle touch that contrasts with carrots, beets, apples or walnuts. It is delicious with strong flavored sauces.
Its precious contribution of folic acid stands out (two buds can cover almost two thirds of the daily needs). Also, its provitamin A and vitamin C (they cover 22% and 17% of the needs, respectively). They also provide small doses of most minerals.
Chard
Swiss chard was brought to our country by the Arabs.
They are usually eaten steamed or lightly boiled and seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, but raw they provide a surprising flavor to salads.
They are very light and provide a large amount of nutrients. Their richness in iron (2.7 mg / 100 g) and their small doses of copper (80 mcg) make them good allies against anemia, although they also provide calcium, potassium and phosphorus. If they are not overcooked, they are also very rich in vitamins A, C and group B.
Watercress
Watercress is ideal in salad for the spicy grace of its aromatic leaves, whose stimulating ethereal oils combine with almost all types of leaves and roots. It is also used in garnishes and giving a nice dark green color to sauces.
They call it the “energy alarm clock” for being very nutritious. Very rich in vitamin C (a handful of only 30 grams provides a third of what is needed per day), they also provide notable amounts of calcium, iron and the other two antioxidant vitamins: A and E. In addition, it provides fiber (1.5%) to the intestine.
Red chicory or radicchio
The red Verona chicory (or radicchio, in Italian) stands out for its wine-colored leaves with white veins.
Winter frosts soften their aroma and make them ideal for salads or garnishes. It is prepared by cutting and removing the light stem.
Its flavor is intense and bitter, due to compounds that favor the secretion of bile. By lightening the work of the liver, it is therefore very digestive.
Its purple color is due to anthocyanins, antioxidant substances. But above all it is very rich in folic acid: 100 grams cover 30% of daily needs.
Endive
The endive has a so compact rosette that the curly leaves do not let the light through and the heart shows a beautiful yellow color.
Like endive or chicory, it has a characteristic bitter taste, stimulating biliary and gastric secretions: that is why it has appetizing and tonic effects on the stomach.
It is very light (12 calories / 100 grams) and its large amount of water and fiber make it a diuretic and laxative. 150 grams provide all the folic acid you need per day and a third of the vitamin C.
