how to get more greens into your diet

if you're like me, you have good intentions to get those greens in. that is... until your precious head hits the pillow & you realize you haven't even touched one leafy green. here are a handful of tips to get more greens into your diet. enjoy!

1. prep greens ahead of time. i am often in-between tasks when eating lunch. having pre-washed greens on hand makes me more likely to grab the greens instead of last night's dinner leftovers. my husband or i will usually harvest greens once or twice a week from the garden. we soak the greens in water, strain them, chop them, add them to a reusable container with a lid, & place them in the fridge for easy lunch and dinner prep.

2. mason jar salads. my girlfriend & i were just talking about mason jar salads. they're cute & make lunches-on-the-go fun! they're also easy to prep. here's a fun tutorial on making your mason jar salad. simply add the dressing on the bottom & then layer. 

3. freeze your greens. thicker greens, such as kale & spinach, freeze well. simply wash & chop your greens. add them to cookie sheet & freeze. once your greens are completely frozen, remove them from the cookie sheet & add them to a labeled baggie. frozen greens are perfect in hearty soups!

4. add additional greens to recipes. i love experimenting in the kitchen. even if you're a recipe follower, adding additional vegetables, such as yummy greens, to a meal can make it extra delicious and healthy. i love chopping up wilty greens & adding them to my pasta sauce. 

5. green smoothies. green smoothies are a great option for a healthy breakfast or lunch. my favorite smoothie recipe - 1/2 can of coconut milk, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1/2 cup frozen mango, 1/2 cup frozen greens (kale is my favorite!), & 1/2 cup frozen strawberries. add & blend until smooth. enjoy in a mason jar with a fun straw!

6. weekly challenges. weekly challenges to change habits are a great way to stay mindful. try a weekly challenge of eating a side salad with your dinner every night for one week. ask the family to join in or a group of friends. it's fun & you're one step closer to a healthier habit!

- natalie

symphony of greens

this is a dedication to all of the salad greens out there who fill our plates & warm our tummies. you make gardeners & farmers alike so happy & your harvest is plentiful. we thank you for your abundance & ease of growing.

i am a personal fan of the bounty of greens growing in our front yard garden. when we plan our garden, i use every bit of my restraint as to not purchase every variety or packet of seeds. this year we settled for only four varieties, although i would have been absolutely content to fill our entire beds with the goodness of greens.

one variety of huge success in our garden is the "encore" lettuce mix from johnny's catalogue. this mix includes green & red oakleaf, green & red romaine, and bibb among a few others. we simply scattered the seeds on top of the soil & watered. within a month we had an abundance of fresh greens perfect for light salads.

of course, a garden is not complete without kale. i am a serious believer in kale. we start our red russian kale from seed & then transplanted it into our beds very early in the season. last year we even over-wintered some of our plants. once the snow melted we were harvesting our kale & preparing wilty greens & kale chips.

spinach is another must for the perfect spring salad. our red cardinal spinach from johnny's catalogue is the tastiest when its leaves are harvested early & paired with ripe strawberries. many gardeners claim to have difficulty growing spinach. thankfully i have not experienced this, but i have noticed that the germination rates & maturity are much slower than other greens. the advice i give is to plant early so your plant has time to grow before the summer's heat sets in.

& as always, a mesculin mix is necessary. the beautiful thing about our mix, the "ovation" greens mix from johnny's, is you can plant it almost anywhere & it will grow abundantly. perfect for containers or beds, this mix packs a spicy punch & will rock any salad lover's world.

so get out there & scatter some of this goodness in your garden.