How to Eat More Leafy Greens: 9 Simple Tips

Looking to add more leafy greens to your diet?

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We are all told to eat more leafy greens from everywhere on the internet. I know for me, it has taken me a lot of years to acclimate to making leafy greens a part of my everyday diet. If you’re looking for some simple ways on how to add more into your diet, here are some tips and tricks that I use.

1. Add them to Smoothies

If you hate leafy greens, try adding a handful of them into your smoothies. Spinach is the best for smoothies in my opinion because you can hardly taste it. This is a smoothie I made recently & it was so good.

Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup of soy milk
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 scoop of vanilla collagen powder
(add a handful of spinach or two to get those leafy greens in)

2. Use them as the Base to a Bowl

I make healthy bowls all of the time at my house (they usually are on plates but you get the point lol). I will do a protein, carb, veggies and use a dark leafy green as the base. I did a taco style one above with taco seasoned ground turkey, black beans, baked sweet potatoes on a bed of arugula. I added hot sauce and a bunch of fresh lime on top – so good. You could also try this upgrade chipotle bowl, but no need to over complicate it. 😉

3. Use in Place of a Tortilla or Wrap

Something I started doing years ago was steaming collard greens and using them in place of wraps. I lightly steam them and they are really sturdy and a great way to get leafy greens into my diet. If you’re gluten free and possibly even nut free, this is a great way to get that ‘wrap’ feel. I have even used the really big leaves and wrapped things burrito style. It can get messy but that’s part of the fun of it.

4. Add them to an Egg Scramble

One simple way to get more greens into your diet is by adding them to an egg scramble. If you like tomatoes, I recommend doing tomatoes and spinach (it’s a great combo). It’s super easy if you’re already wanting scrambled eggs and the perfect way to add in some leafy greens to your diet.

5. Make a Yummy Salad

The most obvious way to eat more leafy greens is to make a salad. Salads, however, should not be boring! They can be so filling and delicious, you just have to make them right. I always make a simple dressing with mine (apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice) and pack them with a lot of flavors and textures. I will either eat it alone or have it on the side of a protein and carb like above.

6. Add them to your Sandwiches and Wraps

If you are a sandwich or wrap lover, try adding dark leafy greens to them in place of regular lettuce. Spinach, arugula and baby kale are my go-to’s for this sort of thing for both texture and flavor. I love Ezekial bread for a high fiber and higher protein option (it’s usually in the fridge/freezer section at stores).

7. Add them into Pasta Dishes

However you like your pasta, adding in a big handful of leafy greens at the end is a simple way to get them into your diet. I made my gluten free version of linsen mit spätzle (a German dish) and added a bunch of arugula to it for this, but you could do it in normal pasta with red meat sauce too. 🙂

8. Incorporate them into your Soups and Stews

It’s that time of year again where it’s cold and all I want is soup! I just made one yesterday (picture above) and I added a bunch of leftover collard greens that I needed to use up. This is a great way to add in dark leafy greens to your diet. This spicy turkey soup is a good one and so is this tuscan kale soup.

9. Drink a Green Drink

If you’re looking for an easy way to add more greens like spirulina and wheatgrass into your diet, a green drink is a great addition. This one is my current favorite (and has been for the last 10 years). It has pure organic ingredients and tastes great.

Recap: How to Eat More Leafy Greens

Whether you hate greens or you already love them, there are some practical ways to help you add them into your diet. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, adding them into each meal is doable and starts with one small change. The focus on addition over subtraction when it comes to food has been a great way for me to slowly transition my way of eating over time so that it’s healthy and also enjoyable. I hope these are helpful for you.

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