A fruity breakfast, a quick but delicious and incredibly healthy lunch, and a humble dinner of split pea soup. Plus, I’ll explain why steamed mustard greens are a seasonal treat you should definitely take advantage of!
- 1 banana
- 1 kaki fruit
- 1/4 c. dried figs
- 1 T ground flaxseed
- 1/2 c. raspberries
- 1/4 c. cashews
Checklist items: berries, 3 other fruit, flaxseed (6 out of 18 servings)
From 1 cup of cooked mustard greens, you get 96% of your daily requirement of Vitamin A. Mustard greens are especially high in the A-vitamin forms lutein, zeaxanthin, & beta-carotene. These are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, support immune function, proper cell growth & communication, and eyesight. Vitamin K is also abundant in mustard in greens, with 1 cup blowing away your daily required intake. The anti-inflammatory effect of this vitamin helps to protect against chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease.
Mustard greens also help to lower cholesterol: certain nutrients in the fiber of the plant bind bile acids, causing them to get ‘stuck’ in the digestive tract, leading to excretion. The liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids, so the more are bound, the more cholesterol the body uses up. In a head-to-head study, mustard greens bound 34% the amount of bile acids as the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine. Kale bound 43%, and collard greens a whopping 46%! By eliminating animal products from the diet (the only source of cholesterol) and eating a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables, many people have been able to reduce or stop taking cholesterol-lowering medications.
Glucosinolate is found in mustard greens in larger quantities than any other cruciferous vegetable with the exception of brussels sprouts. It is a phytonutrient, contained specifically in cruciferous vegetables, which is turned by your body into the strong cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. Like in other cruciferous veggies, these anti-cancer agents form from the combination of 2 elements released by cutting or breaking the plant tissue. To allow for the full effectiveness to develop, you can chop the greens 40 minutes before cooking them (since only one of the elements survives the heat of cooking) or you can add powdered mustard seed to your dish after cooking.
Studies looking at cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, lungs, prostate, & ovaries have found mustard greens to be effective in cancer prevention, and even reversal. So, here’s how I used my mustard greens today…
- 1/4 c. parsnips, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 c. mushrooms, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 c. celeriac, cut into small cubes
- 1 1/2 c. mustard greens, chopped
- herbes de provence, to taste
- s&p, to taste
- 1 1/2 T tomato paste
- corn tortilla
- mustard
- powdered mustard seed, if using
- Water-sauté the parsnips & mushrooms on medium heat, letting them caramelize
- Add celeriac, tomato paste, herbes de provence, & 1/2 c. water, and cook until the celeriac begins to soften, 10 to 15 minutes
- Add mustard greens and cook until water is fully evaporated
- Serve wrapped in a corn tortilla, with mustard
Checklist items: cruciferous, 1 greens, 2 other vegetables, spices, 1 whole grains (6 out of 18 servings)
Dinner is almost too simple, but it definitely fits the bill to round off today’s daily dozen.
- 1 c. split peas (cooked)
- 1/2 c. tempeh, cubed
- 1 c. raw mustard greens, chopped
- 1/4 c. shallot
- 1/4 c. carrot
- paprika
I made a simple soup with the peas, shallot, & carrots (something like this), and added the tempeh cubes and mustard greens at the end. You could use a liquid smoke to flavor the tempeh, if desired. It does appear to be safe. Enjoy the soup with a whole grain bagel.
Checklist items: 3 beans, 1 greens, 1 other vegetables, spices, 2 whole grains (8 out of 18 servings)
Taking account of the day:
20 servings in total
We got at least the minimum recommended servings of everything today, plus one extra serving each of other vegetables and spices.
Eat like every bite counts 