By Melissa Rowe
Contributing Writer
The infamous green holiday we all know is coming around the corner: St. Patrick’s Day.
Some may know what this day actually stands for, while others just display the color green in many ways—eating green foods, drinking green drinks, or donning green attire. While this is not considered a legal holiday in the U.S., it is widely recognized and celebrated.
St. Patrick’s Day gives us another reason to overload on our green foods, such as kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, etc.
Leafy greens are infamous for being high in vitamin A, C, E, and K. These green foods are essential to our health for many reasons. Just to name a few health benefits: they lower cholesterol, increase energy, strengthen the immune system, and improve blood circulation.
Why wouldn’t you want to include these nutrient-packed, low-calorie foods? Here are a few healthy snack/meal ideas for parties or just throughout your festive green day!
Green Smoothie
Starting off your day with this green smoothie will give you that extra boost to celebrate longer with this smoothie packed full of antioxidants and vitamins. Adding the banana and mango gives it a hint of sweetness, while the addition of the ginger provides that irresistible taste.
Ingredients
1 – 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, depending on how thick you like your smoothie
1 cup kale leaves, center rib removed
1 cup baby spinach
1 banana, frozen & cut into pieces
1 mango, peeled and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
Directions
1. Add all ingredients to blender. Blend from low to high until silky and smooth. Add a few extra splashes of water or drizzles of oil if needed to blend smooth. It will firm up in the fridge.
2. Pour in serving dish and chill in fridge for at least one hour or overnight.
3. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top and fresh parsley to garnish.
Kale Chips
If you haven’t heard yet, these are a delicious variation on your regular high fat potato chips. These chips are perfect for a party because it provides the crunch that people are looking for at a low cost with great health benefits.
Ingredients
1 large bunch kale, tough stems removed, leaves torn into pieces (about 16 cups)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Position racks in upper third and center of oven; preheat to 400°F.
2. If kale is wet, very thoroughly pat dry with a clean kitchen towel; transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the kale with oil and sprinkle with salt. Using your hands, massage the oil and salt onto the kale leaves to evenly coat. Fill two large-rimmed baking sheets with a layer of kale, making sure the leaves don’t overlap. If the kale won’t all fit, make the chips in batches.
3. Bake until most leaves are crisp, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 12 minutes total. If baking a batch on just one sheet, start checking after 8 minutes to prevent burning.
I hope you enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day with some of our healthy green snacks. Don’t forget to wear green.
Recipe references:
http://thecornerkitchenblog.com/green-smoothies/
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2013/03/lucky-leprechaun-dip-creamy-green.html
