How to cook healthier green collards



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When Kristen Gradney Growing up, his favorite dish was mustard greens cooked by his grandmother. Her grandmother choked green vegetables with pieces of chicken or other meats and served them with rice, she recalls.

"I absolutely loved them," she said. "But they were usually cooked until I did not even know what they were. I did not know what a mustard green looked like before. "

Green leafy vegetables, such as mustard greens, cabbage leaves and turnip greens, are considered superfoodand they are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But when the greens are prepare according to the tradition of the soul food – that is to say accompanied by ham shank, chicken, ham tasso or other meat and cooked until They are cooked – they grow a reputation of being unhealthy.

But Gradney, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says it does not have to be that way. While it is important to preserve the memories and emotions of these dishes, there are many ways to prepare green vegetables in this way while also being part of a well-balanced diet.

Traditionally cooked greens have an important cultural connection to the past.

Cordialis Msora-Kasago, dietician nutritionist at Menifee, CaliforniaShe believes it is important to preserve traditional cooking methods to honor their history.

Greens, especially green cabbage, were one of the most few vegetables that slaves were allowed to cultivate. To counter the bitter taste of greens, Meats and fats – such as ham ham – were used in small amounts "just to season the greens," Msora-Kasago said. Over time, as diets changed and food became more accessible, people were incorporating more and more flavors and ingredients, such as bacon. The recipes were handed down from generation to generation and became a pillar of the soul restoration movement in the sixties.

"As for all the cuisines of the world, you will realize that there are elements of every kitchen that have adverse health effects," Msora-Kasago said. "The key is to understand how to incorporate these foods and how to moderate your portions."

Msora-Kasago's belief that "food is more than nutrition" inspired her to create African pot nutrition foster culturally relevant discussion and promote the health of people of African descent.

"There is this cultural connection," Msora-Kasago said. "These are also things that are familiar to us. We must be able to learn and understand how to cook using various ingredients so we can continue to enjoy the foods we know without chastising them. "

So, about nutrition in these fleshy green cabbage …

Green leafy vegetables are full of nutrients, giving them superfood status. Greens are rich in vitamin K, which, according to Gradney, helps blood clotting. They too contains vitamins A, C and Eas well as calcium, fiber, potassium, iron, magnesium and antioxidants. Research shows that eating green vegetables can lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and Diabetes, and potentially avoid cancer.

According to Gradney and Msora-Kasago, these nutrients will generally remain intact no matter how green vegetables – or any other vegetable – are cooked.. But cooking green vegetables with fatty meat adds calories, sodium, fat and cholesterol.

"It's not the same as eating a piece of raw mustard green," said Gradney. "That does not mean that it's impossible to prepare it in the same way with similar tastes and tastes."

Boiling green vegetables can degrade certain nutrients. It is therefore best to reserve the liquid in which the vegetables are cooked.potlikker"- helps preserve nutrients, said Gradney, adding that his family enjoyed pouring the liquid on rice as a sauce.

In addition, cooking vegetables for a shorter time helps preserve nutrients and flavor. "They do not really have to be cooked as long to taste good and get the same texture you're looking for," said Gradney.

"I think it's important that people remember that green cabbage has its place in food," Msora-Kasago said. "They are an extremely important vegetable that can improve health, and we should celebrate and welcome them."

Msora-Kasago says that she grows green vegetables in her vegetable garden and likes to sauté them with onions, tomatoes and garlic, or she'll have them with eggs for breakfast. She also likes to use the leaves to wrap sandwiches.

The are Leaner ways to cook greens.

Traditionally cooked vegetables often evoke family memories, but these same aromas can be created using health-friendly techniques, said Gradney.

She suggests eating the foods you love but preparing them without the high fat and cholesterol ingredients, which increases the incidence of chronic diseases in communities that typically consume staple foods.

Gradney and Msora-Kasago both indicate the rise of veganism in the black community, with black-owned vegan restaurants popping up across the country and chefs and chefs at home keeping their favorite green recipes while adopting meatless preparations.

Apart from veganism, said Gradney, using leaner meats, like pork tenderloin and skinless chicken, or vegetable oils to season green vegetables can help retain some traditional flavors without adding excess of calories and fat. There is also the turkey tasso, infused with flavors of bacon and ham but leaner, she said.

No matter how vegetables are cooked, tradition is the most important, said Gradney. Unhealthy foods that evoke good memories should be reserved for "times when it really matters" such as family reunions.

"Food is something my body needs to function daily, "said Gradney. "You're doing this in the meantime with your healthier version of this cheese macaroni or your healthier version of the greens with your turkey tasso and your olive oil. But when you are with your family and you are celebrating and thinking about the old days, you want it to be as it has been prepared in the past. It's time to have it with bacon. "

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