Festive parades, corned beef, cabbage, a night at the pub ... these may be the things you think of when you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Go ahead and have your fun, then incorporate a little green into your diet all year long ... and in a healthier way than green beer.

Fruits and vegetables in different color categories tend to have different nutrition profiles. Green fruits and vegetables are colored by chlorophyll. Cruciferous vegetables like kale, cabbage and broccoli have cancer-fighting indoles. Leafy greens and some green fruits contain eye-health-promoting lutein. Other greens are rich in folate, which helps prevent birth defects and some are good sources of calcium.

Try these four delicious ideas for some eating o' the green:

• Swiss chard is delicious when sautéed with a little minced garlic and olive oil.
• Mix broccoli raab (boiled or steamed until tender) with whole-wheat pasta, olive oil and sautéed onions and garlic.
• Add spinach, arugula or other dark leafy greens to an omelet.
• Peel and slice kohlrabi into wedges and arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in a 300-degree oven until tender. For extra flavor, squeeze a little fresh lemon or orange juice over the kohlrabi before serving.
  

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When you were little, your mom probably made sure you got your vitamin C to help fend off those nasty bugs that float around classrooms. But recent research shows that adults have good reason to get their vitamin C as well.

At their Conference of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research, the American Heart Association revealed that vitamin C has a positive effect on blood pressure. The practical applications aren't yet known but in the study, high doses of vitamin C resulted in an average seven percent drop in blood pressure.

While it's not reasonable for you to take high doses of vitamin C like those administered in the study, you can be sure to incorporate lots of healthful foods that are rich in vitamin C. Choices include citrus fruits, broccoli, greens, and melon.

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Have you jumped on board the "eat local" bandwagon yet? We sure have, and we are loving our CSA Farm for the second season this summer.

One thing I look forward to is getting a variety of salad greens throughout the season: Bibb, Boston, Romaine, and Red Leaf lettuces, and my bitter favorite: arugula.

This easy recipe, Garden Greens with Yellow Tomatoes and Peaches -- and I mean easy! -- combines your favorite greens with arugula, tomatoes and peaches, all in a balsamic shallot dressing.

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I stopped at the farmer's market this morning and several booths had beets for sale. I debated about buying some to make a borscht. (Which I love, but I was quite certain it would be a complete miss with my son.) According to Planet Green, I should have just tried juicing beets.

Researchers have found that drinking 500ml of beet root juice daily can have a positive impact on blood pressure. Not only is beet root high in antioxidants, it also contains dietary nitrates which benefit blood pressure. Researchers found that the blood pressure of study subjects dropped just one hour after drinking beet root juice, with the most benefit showing three to four hours after drinking the juice.

Want another idea on what to do with beets? Debra has some ideas for cooking beets with the greens.

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By now, we've probably all heard that we're supposed to be getting 5-10 servings of fruit and veggies a day. But knowing this guideline is one thing; Making sure we meet it day in and day out is another. Do you get 5-10 a day? Come on, be honest with yourself. Truth be told, many people find it hard to get all those greens, but Diet Blog has some fantastic suggestions. One of the top recommendations? Every time you have a plate or container of food, make sure it is at least half veggies.

I struggle with this too, so here are some of my own suggestions: In the morning, I sneak a handful of spinach into my fruit protein smoothie. It sounds gross but seriously, I can't taste the difference. And in the evening I drink a big cup of V8 juice to curb any pre-bedtime hunger.

How do you sneak in greens?

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Research shows that women who drink even small amounts of alcohol can spike their breast cancer risk. But getting enough folic acid can help.

A long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that the proper intake of the B vitamin may reduce breast cancer risk for those who consume more than the equivalent of one glass of wine per day.

Want to get enough folic acid in your diet? Ask your doctor about a multivitamin containing the recommended amount or make a commitment to consuming lots of fortified cereals, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and juice.

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If you're trying to lose weight, you'll have to fill up on salads and veggies. But salads can get boring -- fast! And when you get bored with your meals, that's when you reach for the junk food.

Which is why we need to keep our healthy foods fresh and interesting -- Fitsugar calls it 'Pimping your greens.' Here are some of my favourite ways to spice up my salads -- feel free to share some of your own in the comments.

• Try different dressings, but make sure to check the label before buying because certain dressings (like the creamy ones) can be loaded with fat and calories. Better yet -- try making your own!
  
• Add some nuts and seeds. They'll add protein and flavour to your greens.
• Think outside the veggies. Slices of fresh fruit can add a lot of flavour to your salad -- strawberries, grapes and mango are my favourites.
  
• Cheese, please. I love cheese and if adding it to my salad means I look forward to chowing down on my greens, so be it.
  
• Get inspired. I sometimes spend my lunch hours perusing the internet for interesting salad recipes -- I rarely follow a recipe by the book but it's great for ideas and inspiration.

Did you know that Americans throw away an average of 25% of the produce they buy? A half a pound every day. That's a lot of money going down the drain, not to mention all the wasted nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants and the strain on the environment. Plus how are you supposed to motivate yourself to eat more fresh fruits and veggies when they're all smelly and sludgy in the bottom of your fridge?

The biggest reasons people toss so much produce are, thankfully, pretty easy to remedy: it happens because we're either storing it wrong or because we're buying too much at once and can't eat it fast enough. So make a better grocery list and only buy what you're going to be able to eat in the next few days, and learn how to keep it so it stays fresh as long as possible. For storage tips check out this article on Vegetarian Times -- it's chock full of awesome advice.

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Food-borne illnesses that can be linked to leafy green vegetables are on the rise. Experts once thought that the increase was due simply to the fact that we're all eating more greens, but a recent study found that that answer isn't entirely correct. Over the last decade, consumption of leafy greens increased by about 9%, but food-borne illnesses associated with those greens shot up 39%. Obviously, something else is going wrong.

Food-borne illnesses can be the fault of the consumer, especially if raw foods aren't handled safely. But these numbers are too high to blame on user error alone, and several outbreaks over the last few years were linked to processing plants.

The risk isn't big enough to give up greens for good, especially since greens are so incredibly nutritious. But it is a good idea to have good food safety practices at home. Discard the outer leaves of the plant, then wash your greens well, including any visible dirt, and store unused portions in the refrigerator. Check out this NPR article for tips on keeping your greens and the rest of your fresh produce safe.

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While recently picking up some protein powder at my local Vitamin Shoppe retail store, I happened upon a promotional table for a so-called "Super Food" vegetable drink mix.

"Hey, man. Do you wanna' try some greens?," an upbeat, Toni Robbins-esque voice said in a way that sounded more like a command than a question.

"Um, no. Actually, what the heck do you mean?," was my best attempt at fending off the retail assault.

"Check it out. I know you're going to like this," he said, knowing that I was already at his mercy for the next few minutes.

And so it went, for far more than a few minutes I listened to Mr. Positive talk to me about a vegetable-based product that his company was selling in Vitamin Shoppe retail stores nationwide. He handed me some literature on their product lines and let me try samples of their drink mixes, each containing 72 "Super Foods."

When it comes to being healthy the term "green" has more meanings these days than it used to. We can be healthier by incorporating more greens in our diet and the planet can be healthier by our efforts to be "greener" in an environmental sense. The Daily Green put together a plan on how we can work on both in just 5 days, and all things considered there's really no reason we shouldn't all give it a shot -- the steps are amazingly simple. Things like going meatless one day per week and learning to recognize sustainable food labels aren't too complicated (it's just learning to do them regularly, right?).


Via Lifehacker

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How do you feel about Broccoli? Love it or hate it, I think we can all manage to choke it down three times a month, right? And according to recent studies, eating broccoli three times a month is all it takes to reap the benefits of the crunchy green vegetable -- if you do, you'll significantly reduce your risk of cancer.

Yes, you read that right -- three times a month, not three times a week, or three times a day -- though I'm sure eating fresh veggies as often as possible can't hurt either. Surely you can manage three times a month? But it's important to note that raw veggies are noted to be better for you than cooked ones in this study. Still, it's an easy task.

Don't believe me? Click here.

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Have you ever had a green smoothie? If you have them available in your area they're a great way to get more greens in your diet, and no, they don't all taste like grass or mint. Marisa McClellan over at Slashfood recently shared her favorite green smoothie, found at Trader Joe's. It's the "Green Protein" smoothie and it's full of all kinds of good things and tastes like strawberries. Strawberries I can do.

For recipes on making your own green smoothies check out A Veggie Venture -- and from now on don't be afraid to try ordering the green smoothie option off your local cafe's menu! You'll probably really like it.

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I love summer salads, but I don't eat as many of them as I'd like to because it's so hard for me to keep lettuce and salad greens fresh in the refrigerator for more than 1 day at a time. But it seems FitSugar has the answer, and who knew it would be so easy? Just put your greens in a plastic bag, breathe a puff of air into it (for the carbon dioxide) and tie it at the top. Of course it will take up more space in your fridge this way and I'd make sure your family isn't sensitive about people breathing on each other's food, but if this works (I'm totally trying it) what an awesome trick!

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Do you get your daily greens? That's not a golf term, of course -- it's a nutrition term. The amount of vegetables that is suggested by experts is probably not eaten daily by a majority of citizens in the U.S. Well, that is if my informal data collection is taken as proof.

But are there ways to get those daily greens without popping those fresh vegetables? Sure there are. There are supplements in tablet or powder form. Products like Emerald Balance is a great way to get a full day's worth of those veggies quick without fixing an entire meal.

Now, I've tried many superfood and green food powders myself, and the one listed above is among my favorites based on taste alone. Whichever you pick, your body will thank you. That is, of course, you are getting your daily greens directly from those tasty vegetables.

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