Let's talk about the health benefits of dark leafy greens

Watch Registered Dietitian Cara Rosenbloom on Rogers Daytime TV talk about the health benefits of dark leafy greens & why Cookin' Greens is a healthy convenient option.

Dark Leafy Greens are good for your body..Let us illustrate why

Dark Leafy Greens Are Good for Your Body

H3 STUDY: HOW MUCH, HOW MANY HOW LONG.

CHECK OUT THIS 3^RD PARTY VALIDATED STUDY THAT COMPARES OUR FROZEN DARK-LEAFY GREENS TO THE FRESH EQUIVALENT (PER 500g bag).

WE CALL IT THE H3 STUDY: HOW MUCH, HOW MANY HOW LONG.

THESE 3 CRITERIA WERE EVALUATED: RETAIL PRICE POINT, HOW MANY FRESH IT TAKES TO MAKE FRESH EQUIVALENT, PREP TIME.

FRESH VS FROZEN –RESULTS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THE BENEFITS OF ALL THREE AREAS...

IT’S A NO BRAINER. PLUS – NO WASTE & USE THEM WHEN YOU NEED THEM – NO MORE WILTING/ROTTING IN YOUR CRISPER...WE MUST POINT OUT THAT EATING FRESH IS STILL AN EXCELLENT CHOICE BUT FRESH FROZEN IS SIMPY A BETTER OVERALL CHOICE/EXPERIENCE.

SOURCE REFERENCE: H3 STUDY COMPLETED BY NETTIE CRONISH 2009.

H3 Case Study

Spring is in the air..

On February 2, 2011 otherwise known as ‘Groundhogs Day’ Punxsutawney Phil and Wiarton Willy both emerged from their burrows predicting an early spring because they did not see their shadows.  This is great news for the Cookin’ Greens team, spring means sunshine, longer days and people start thinking green! 

In the warmer months we tend to want lighter meals; eat more veggies and most importantly we think smoothies for breakfast.  Smoothies are a great breakfast choice because you can throw practically anything into them such as flax seed/oil, protein powder, fruits, and veggies. Yes veggies; like a kale or spinach smoothie and having Cookin’ Greens makes it super easy to start your day green!

Watch our video to see how easy it is to make a delicious nutritious Cookin' Greens  Kale & Fruit Smoothie...

Make Kale your new comfort food

Everyone from the Wall Street Journal, Chatelaine Magazine to Oprah has mentioned Kale as one of their top super foods. Kale is a leafy green vegetable that is a member of the Brassica family therefore it is related to collard greens, cabbage and brussel sprouts.

Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and Vitamin A, C, K. Vitamin K is a key nutrient for helping regulate our body's inflammatory process; which makes kale an exceptional food for lowering our risk of chronic inflammation and associated health problems.

Kale is also known to provide valuable cardiovascular support in terms of its cholesterol-lowering ability. Kale provides us with this cholesterol-lowering benefit whether it is raw or cooked. However, the cholesterol-lowering ability of raw kale improves significantly when it is steamed.

Kale is loaded with Phytonutirents which literally means plant nutrient. Phytonutrients have antioxidant properties that help prevent damage to cells throughout the body. A number of phytonutrients have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Experts believe that eating plenty of phytonutrient-rich foods promotes healthy aging.

This is why Kale is rapidly becoming one of the world’s Super Foods. Kale should definitely become a staple food in your daily diet. Have it in a smoothie, throw it in your soups and pasta’s, or eat it as side dish. Check out the Cookin’ Greens™ website for recipe ideas http://www.cookingreens.com/recipes.html

Why not make Kale your new comfort food.

Natalie

The Cookin’ Greens™ Team

We Survived!

We are just getting over the excitement of ‘The National Woman’s Show’.  We are so happy to have been a part of such a great event. The Cookin’ Greens™ booth was hopping all weekend long. We talked to 100’s of health conscious women that loved our concept of flash frozen greens.  They we surprised at how easy it was to add greens to their diet, most were aware of the amazing health benefits of dark leafy greens but did not know how to use them. We were happy to tell people that we have solved their problem with our blanched, double washed, chopped Kale, chopped Rapini , chopped Spinach and our Designer Mix (spinach, collards, rapini, yellow bean and onions). We demonstrated how easy it was to cook the greens and how delicious they were all on their own, or added in dishes like lasagna, pasta sauces, omelets and stir fry’s.

On Monday November 15, 2010 we will be announcing the winners of our great giveaways. We received hundreds of entries; unfortunately there will only be three lucky winners. So if you submitted a ballot we may be contacting you on Monday, good luck to all.

Thanks again to the Cookin’ Greens™ Team that made our time at ‘The National Woman’s Show’ a great success.  We’d also like to thank all the lovely ladies and the few gentlemen at the show that tried our products and are now Cookin’ Greens™ fans.

Here are some pic’s from the show:

Remember to eat your Greens!

Cheers!
Natalie
The Cookin’ Greens™ Team

History in the making

Rick and Richard were Cookin’ Greens very FIRST customers. The day after our first production in Feb 2009, Toby had ‘fresh from the fields to the freezer’ product in her thermal bags. They asked what was in the bag so of course Toby gave them each a bag. They were so excited...they wanted to know when CG is going to be available in the US....soon....!

Dark Leafy Greens are good for the whole body

TV Segment Poster

The creative ways to use cookin greens…

Did you know that there are various ways to use your Cookin’ Greens™ products? That Cookin’ Greens™ spinach can be use for more that just dips, kale can be used in smoothies and Rapini in Lasagna.  

Since Cookin’ Greens™ products come washed and chopped; they are ready to be thrown into practically any dish. You can add them to your soups, pasta, omelets, stir fry’s and smoothies. Coming soon we will have tips on how you can cook your Cookin’ Greens™ on the BBQ.

Tell us the creative ways you use your Cookin’ Greens products; we’d loved to hear from you.  info@cookingreens.com

Natalie

The Cookin’ Greens™  Team

 

How to incorporate Cookin’ Greens™ into your day…

Wonder what a typical day with Cookin’ Greens™ looks like? Here let me show you how easy it is to add greens to your daily diet.

Breakfast:  Have a Cookin’ Greens™ Kale or Spinach Smoothie

http://www.cookingreens.com/recipes_3.html, I would recommend adding some protein powder and flax seed to your smoothie. Protein will make it a more satisfying morning meal and the flax seed is a nice source of added fiber. This is a great start to your day and a good way to get a serving of veggies in.

  

Lunch: Use your favorite Cookin’ Greens™ in whole wheat wraps, pita bread or Panini’s. Sautee them in olive oil with garlic and sea salt. Add fixings such as: cold cuts (turkey, roasted chicken), cheeses (goat, feta), sliced, grilled or curried vegetables, chicken, egg salad, tuna, teriyaki beef, or falafel balls. Viola! You now have a delicious nutritious lunch.

Dinner:  Add some Asian flair to dinner with a delicious Rapini and Blood Orange, Ginger and beef Teriyaki recipe. http://www.cookingreens.com/recipes_2.html

 How do you use your Cookin’ Greens™ products? Send us an e-mail we’d love to hear from you.

Natalie

The Cookin Greens Team

Dark Leafy Greens and Eye Health

Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses? No… right? The obvious reason being they are Rabbits however their diet consists of carrots which we have all heard over the years “Eat your Carrots, they’re good for your eyes” and…now… dark-leafy greens as well…

Iowa State University recently wrote this article “Can Dark Green Leafy Vegetables Save Your Eyesight? They state that dark green leafy vegetables are rich in the antioxidant lutein, which has been claimed to help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Beside Lutein, Vitamins A, C, E the three most important vitamins for eye health.

Vitamin A is known to help night blindness. It has been reported to prevent cataracts from forming and may have a role in preventing blindness from macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the world. One cup of Spinach gives you 120% of your daily Vitamin A requirement.

Vitamin C has antioxidant qualities to help prevent crystallization and accumulation of foreign molecules that result in the blurred vision of cataracts. One cup of Kale gives you 70% of your daily Vitamin C requirement.

Vitamin E is the third antioxidant in the trio. Like vitamins A and C, vitamin E also helps prevent cataracts, and macular degeneration. The best sources of Vitamin E can be found in nuts and seeds. Dark leafy greens also contain Vitamin E but to make sure you get enough for proper eye health why not add Walnuts to your spinach salad.

Want more dark leafy greens in your diet, check out the Cookin’ Greens web site(www.cookingreens.com) for some delicious recipes like Herb Tortellini with Spinach, Turkey Sausage & Feta and Turkey Meatloaf with Kale.

Links/Sources
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2010/mar/120301.htm
http://www.cnib.ca/en/about/Default.aspx

Natalie
The Cookin Greens Team

The healthiest vegetable of all? It’s kale!

All vegetables are healthy, so it’s hard to choose favourites. But, non-profit group Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) took up the task. They rated 85 different vegetables in terms of their vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and fibre content, and found that kale was by far the healthiest option.
“Kale?” you might ask. Perhaps you’ve never heard of it – but you will! It’s a dark green leafy vegetable that quickly going from obscurity to popularity. With its deliciously mild taste and hearty leaves, it’s a winner in pasta, soup, sandwiches, omelets and stir-fries. The only drawback for some people is its intimidating size – it is sold in very large bunches and some consumers don’t know what to do with so much foliage.
Enter Cookin’ Greens – the first line of frozen, chopped kale that requires no washing or chopping. Adding the healthiest vegetable to your diet just got easier. In addition to 500-gram bags of chopped kale, Cookin' Greens also offers spinach, rapini and a thoughtfully crafted "Designer's Mix," which is a healthy blend of spinach, collard greens, rapini, yellow beans and onion.
In CSPI’s rating system, vegetables were given a score based on their content of fibre, calcium, iron, folate, vitamin K, vitamin C and carotenoid antioxidants including lutein. Overall, dark green leafy vegetables were the healthiest choices, taking seven of the top ten spots for nutritional power. Spinach and collard greens take spots two and three, just behind kale.
Why are these leafy vegetables so much healthier than turnips and corn? One reason is their colour. “Dark green vegetables are filled with important antioxidants” says dietitian Cara Rosenbloom. “Beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are concentrated in the dark green leaves. These antioxidants play an important role in maintaining good health.” Plus, tasty dark greens are naturally low in calories and sodium, but high in fibre.
For optimal health, Canada's Food Guide recommends that adults eat seven to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit each day. “Currently,” continues Rosenbloom, Canadians are getting less than half of the vegetable and fruit servings that they need for optimal health”. Making vegetables more convenient and accessible is one way to encourage increased consumption.

With Cookin' Greens, the frozen vegetable market finally makes it easy to include delectable dark-leafy greens in the diet. Cookin' Greens takes the fuss out of washing and chopping bunches of fresh greens by doing all of the work for you. Plus, buying pre-cut and pre-washed greens mean that there is no waste to dispose of and very little mess to clean up.

For a delicious side dish, simply sauté any Cookin' Greens variety in a ribbon of olive oil, lots of garlic and a touch of sea salt, and splash some balsamic vinegar. Cookin' Greens can also be added to omelets, pasta, stews, pizza, casseroles and soups. The culinary uses for Cookin' Greens are limitless. Inventive cooking ideas can be found online at www.cookingreens.com.

For more information, please contact Cara Rosenbloom at cara@wordstoeatby.ca or call 416-846-3865.

Why Dark Leafy Greens?

So it’s everywhere from Oprah to Dr. Oz that dark leafy greens are a must for a healthy diet. We all know that they are good for us, but do you know why?



First let’s talk about Spinach because it’s the most common dark leafy green. Spinach contains vitamin A which promotes healthy skin and nails, vitamin C helps boost immunity, folic acid helps with keeping your heart healthy, magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function and potassium which helps lower high blood pressure. WOW if that isn’t enough to make you want to run out and get yourself a bag of Cookin Greens Spinach than how’s this fact, Spinach is high in carotenoids, a group of substances known to fight cancer.



Next on the list is Kale, this dark leafy green is finally starting to get noticed. Kale belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables which includes cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts. Kale is an excellent source of vitamin K which helps in blood clotting meaning it assists the healing process by stopping the bleeding. Also vitamin K helps in the absorption of calcium. Kale is also a good source of non-dairy calcium which helps prevent osteoporosis. Like Spinach it also contains Vitamin A and C. So why not try this superfood tonight! Cookin Greens Kale is waiting at a retailer near you, and while your there grab some olive oil and garlic so you can sauté your greens, delicious!!!



Lastly let’s talk about Rapini other wise know had Broccoli Raab which is also part of the Brassica family. Rapini is also an excellent source of Vitamin A, C and K. It also contains Zinc which helps strengthen the immune system which is the body’s key defense against infection and disease. Rapini is somewhat strong and bitter in flavor but taste great if sautéed in olive oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Do you want to try Cookin Greens Rapini but are still unsure how to use it? Cooking Greens has great recipes for you to try tonight. http://www.cookingreens.com/recipes.html .

Enjoy your dark leafy greens not only are they Superfoods but they are super delicious!

Here’s to greens!

Natalie
The Cookin Greens Team