You have seen me post a few recipes this summer featuring greens; check out to the vegetables section to see if you’ve missed any. For this recipe I began writing with the intention of touting the health benefits of collard greens. They’re high in fiber which is great for lowering cholesterol and aiding in digestion. Collard greens are also rich in glucosinolates that have the potential to prevent the growth of cancer cells. However, instead going into the details of those benefits, I’ll briefly talk about vitamins. Specifically, the difference between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.
Collard greens are chock full of vitamins. 100 g (3.5 oz) of raw collard greens provide us with 133%, 638% and 59% of the recommended daily dosages of vitamins A, K and C, respectively. Of these three vitamins, vitamins K and A are fat-soluble and vitamin C is water-soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat and are stored in the body, while water soluble-vitamins dissolve in water and are not stored in the body. In order for your body to absorb vitamins A and K from collard greens you must add some fat. In this recipe for example, I’ve added some olive oil. One thing for you to keep in mind is that if you are frequently taking vitamin supplements with extremely large doses of fat-soluble vitamins you may develop a condition called hypervitaminosis (vitamin toxicity); this condition is very rare though.
Since our bodies cannot store water-soluble vitamins you don’t have to worry about overdosing on them. Phew! But it is important to consume them daily.
Here’s a simple way to prepare collard greens. The chipotle powder works beautifully with the sautéed garlic to add a nice smoky flavor. Try this recipe and let me know what you think.
What are some other ways that you can add fats to greens (cooked and raw) so that you can benefit from all the vitamins they have to offer?
Prep Time: 15 minutes . Cook Time: +40 minutes . Yield: Serves 8
2 Lbs Collard Greens
2 Cups Red & Yellow Onions, chopped
6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes, chopped
1 Tsp Chipotle Powder
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1. Wash collard greens and remove main stem at center of leaves. You can cut out the stem or simply hold the leaf in one hand (making a fist) and pull the stem with the other hand. Roll leaves together and coarsely chop.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add greens and cook for about 10 minutes. Dump cooked greens into an ice water bath. (I do this to preserve the bright green color).
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions and garlic about 5-10 minutes until fragrant and onions are translucent; stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Add collard greens to skillet and about 1/4 cup of water. Season with chipotle powder, salt and pepper. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes until desired tenderness; stirring occasionally. Serve warm.
Nutrition per 6-Oz Serving: 86 Cals; 14g Carb; 3g Fat; 5g Protein; 6g Dietary Fiber
Nutrition calculated using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Importer
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