Collard Greens: The New Kale?
Several years ago, kale attained “trendy” status, pretty much unprecedented for a vegetable. But the new wave of eating organic, local and healthy (which we’re totally on board with, of course!) elevated this nutrition-packed vegetable to unprecedented heights. But recently, a new green kid has its own level of trend status: collard greens. Which really begs the question… are collard greens the new kale?
The Nutritional Breakdown
Collard greens have the rep as a traditional Southern side, usually prepared with bacon grease and served along with fried chicken or hush puppies. But collard greens themselves don’t deserve to be cast aside. They’re actually packed with nutrients!
Like kale, collard greens are a member of the same family as cabbage and broccoli. They’re grown natively in some parts of Europe and South America as well as in Africa and India. They’re rich in vitamin C, calcium, fiber, vitamin K and anticarcinogens, and they’re low in calories.
How to Prepare Collard Greens
So how can we separate collard greens from their past as an unhealthy side and bring them into the limelight that kale has enjoyed? Simple! Get inspired by some of the chefs who are currently offering new and improved collard green recipes on their menus.
- Update Southern flavors without all the fat in this collard green and blackeyed pea soup
- Healthier braised collard greens — sans ham hock — are an easy way to prepare the veggie
- Collard greens are a bit out of their element in this quick Asian collard greens recipe
- Like kale, you can also use collard greens raw in a collards salad; maybe this is the best recipe to start with!
