Getting the most out of life.  Isn’t that what you want for yourself and your loved ones?

We are living in the information age where anything you want to explore is at your fingertips.

It is especially interesting for us to keep up with new developments in the area of nutrition. The Blue Zone study is one area in particular that we find very useful in our quest to find out how certain population groups around the world consistently live into their 90’s and 100’s.

I recently came across an article titled, “8 Greens You’re Probably Not Eating—But Should Be”. The Blue Zones author discusses eight greens varieties that would be a great addition to your diet.

Following are my favorite takeaways I summarized from the article which you can read in its entirety HERE.

When it comes to adding greens into their diet most people reach for spinach or kale. These two varieties of greens are a great, healthy choice for sure but the article goes on to list eight greens we should consider incorporating into our diet to get a good micronutrient balance. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Toppled Barn Farm currently grows 5 out of 8 of these greens!

Here is a list of the greens we should be eating along with some of the health benefits they provide:

Arugula- spicy and intense in flavor, this cruciferous vegetable is loaded with vitamin A and folate.

Collard Greens- known for their cholesterol-lowering, cancer-fighting properties, these greens are rich in vitamins A, C, K, and calcium.

Dandelion Greens- this green is well-known by most people as it is a common weed found in your lawn, but did you know there are varieties specially grown for food? Dandelion greens tend to have a peppery and bitter taste but are a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, B vitamins, and vitamins A, C, and is rich in vitamin K.

Mizuna- this mild Japanese mustard green is often found in baby green mixes (like our Salad Mix) and is high in vitamin C.

Rainbow Chard- these greens come with beautiful, vibrant, multi-colored stems. These colorful greens contain a unique set of phytonutrients and antioxidants and are also loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, plus magnesium.

Mâche- also known as lamb’s lettuce, is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Nettles- my first experience with stinging nettles was when as a 5-year old I walked through a field of them in Germany. Ouch! Stinging aside, these greens are actually a superfood and contain twice the amount of iron as compared to spinach and 42% of your recommended calcium needs. If you can find these greens, make sure you wear gloves to avoid the stinging. Otherwise, prepare them as you would spinach or kale for a healthy addition to your diet.

Turnip Greens- known as a calcium superhero, turnip greens contain almost 20% of your daily recommended calcium needs. They tend to have a bitter taste but that’s due to the high calcium content.

Toppled Barn Farm already offers many of these greens but we look forward to making a few more additions to our line-up of healthy greens in the future!