The New Complete Book of Food

 The New Complete Book of Food

Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food

Low-oxalate diet (to prevent the formation of kidney stones caused by calcium oxalate)

Low-sodium diet

Buying This Food

Look for: Fresh, crisp, clean, cold, dark green leaves. Refrigeration helps preserve vitamins

A and C.

Avoid: Yellowed, blackened, wilted, or warm greens, all of which are lower in vitamins

A and C.

What to Look for in Specific Greens

Broccoli rabe: Choose small, firm stalks, with very few buds and no open flowers.

Collard greens: Choose smooth, green, firm leaves.

Dandelion: Choose plants with large leaves and very thin stems but no flowers

(flowering dandelions have tough, bitter leaves).

Kale: Choose small, deeply colored, moist leaves.

Mustard greens: Choose small, firm, tender leaves.

Swiss chard: Choose chard with crisp stalks and firm, brightly colored leaves. Chard

is very perishable; limp stalks are past their prime.

Turnip greens: Choose small, firm, bright leaves.

Watercress: Choose crisp, bright green leaves.

Storing This Food

Refrigerate all greens, wrapped in plastic to keep them from losing moisture and vitamins.

Before you store the greens, rinse them well under cool running water and discard any

bruised or damaged leaves (which would continue to deteriorate even when chilled).

Preparing This Food

Rewash the greens under cool running water to flush off all sand, dirt, debris, and hidden

insects.

If you plan to use the greens in a salad, pat them dry before you mix them with salad

dressing; oil-based salad dressings will not cling to wet greens.

Do not tear or cut the greens until you are ready to use them; when you tear greens you

damage cells, releasing ascorbic acid oxidase, an enzyme that destroys vitamin C.