Think, Eat, Be Healthy

What Do Bitter Greens Add To A Healthy Whole Food Diet?

A bitter greens lunch salad with escarole, dandelion, onion, orange bell pepper, goat gouda and raw grass fed cheddar.

A bitter greens lunch salad with escarole, dandelion, onion, orange bell pepper, goat gouda and raw grass fed cheddar.

Bitter greens add a lot of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory packed nutrition to any healthy whole food diet. The bitterness is caused by numerous phytontrients that repel insect pests, bacterial invaders and fungal growth but are good for us. Bitter greens contain phenols, glucosinolates, isoflavones, terpenes, flavonoids and more in varying concentrations. This is the “who’s who” list of plant nutrition.

Dandelion

Dandelion

I consider the bitter green to be raw salad greens, not cooked greens. To me, this includes escarole, Belgian endive, arugula, frisee(curly endive), radicchio, dandelion and cress. In the spring, when they are young and tender, I will add mustard and turnip greens to this list.

Cress

Cress

It is worth cultivating a taste for these greens. Your body will thank you with better health. Several recent studies even show that people who regularly eat bitter vegetables, especially bitter greens, eat fewer sugary foods. Since I increased the amount of bitter greens in my diet to 2-3 salads each week, I don’t even seem to think about sweet desserts and find myself using even less honey in my evening tea.

Radicchio

Radicchio

Bitter greens are an acquired taste for many. If they just taste awful to you, try adding a few extra servings of bitter vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts for a few weeks. Then progress to a few servings of cooked bitter greens like mustard greens, collards, turnip greens and dandelion. After a few weeks, try a raw bitter greens salad again. Be persistent and your taste buds will adjust. I find eating more bitter greens also reduces the amount of salt I add to food.

Escarole

Escarole

My favorite way to enjoy bitter greens is to make a salad of three to five different varieties. This takes advantage of the various colors, textures, shapes, flavors and nutrients of the different greens. I top the greens with raw onion, bell pepper, tomato wedges, avocado, olives and maybe grated raw beet and carrot. Drizzle on some balsamic or red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and freshly grated black pepper. Enjoy. Sometimes I will use a soy sauce or tamari for dressing with no additional salt.

Belgian endive

Belgian endive

If you find yourself with bitter greens that are not aging well, just throw them in with any stir fry or saute dish you might be making. They will add a lot of flavor and nutrition and cooking can take the edge off the bitterness. Bitter greens also work well in soups and stews, so there is never a reason to let them go to waste.

Endive

Endive