By STEPHANIE FAROH
Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Kosciusko County

Don’t forget to wear your green for St. Patrick’s Day next week.

With all the green clothes and decorations, remember to eat your greens too. Try planning green foods on your menu for the whole week. Green fruits and vegetables contain many health-promoting phytochemicals.

They can help protect against certain cancers and help maintain vision, support strong bones and teeth, and aid in overall health. Some of my favorites include asparagus, green peppers, broccoli, avocado, green beans, peas, cabbage, green onion, okra, zucchini, Chinese cabbage, leafy greens such as spinach, green apples, green grapes, honeydew melon, kiwifruit, and limes. Did you notice that I didn’t list Brussels sprouts? They’re a great green vegetable, they just won’t ever make my favorites list.

If corned beef and cabbage is your traditional meal, the cabbage gives you a great start to greens. Here are some other ideas for greens throughout the day:

• Tossed lettuce salad with green peppers.
• Kiwifruit, green grapes, and honeydew melon in your fruit salad.
• Avocado slices on your sandwich or salad. To maintain the avocado’s green color, eat them immediately or sprinkle them with lemon or lime juice. Though two tablespoons of avocado have about 5 grams of fat, it’s mostly heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
• Mix your favorite veggie dip with broccoli florets, sugar snap peas, or even Brussels sprouts.
• Dip green apples in yogurt for a healthy snack.
• Make your own vegetable pizza with green peppers and asparagus.
• Add thinly sliced green onions to your rice, pasta, broiled or baked fish, or split pea soup.
• Use spinach noodles for your pasta or spinach tortillas for a wrap.
• Add spinach, asparagus, and green peppers to your omelets and garnish with parsley
• Add some avocado or spinach to a smoothie.

If you have never tried a green smoothie, I encourage you to do so. Keep in mind that even though smoothies are a great way to get your fruits and vegetables in, they still contain calories and sugar. Choose which fruits, vegetables, sweeteners, and liquids you use carefully and remember that moderation is a good thing.

Here is a delicious, easy-to-make, green smoothie recipe to get you started:

Tropical Green Smoothie

Ingredients: one-half cup milk (I use skim milk, but any kind will work), two cups baby spinach, one and one half cup chopped pineapple (fresh or frozen), one ripe banana (I like to freeze my bananas too).

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender, beginning with the milk, and puree until smooth. Add milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. Enjoy!