NUTRITION Q+A: Get Your Greens

Question: How do I get enough dark leafy greens in my diet?

Answer: Calorie for calorie, dark green leafy vegetables – kale, mustard greens, broccoli, chard, collards, spinach, bok choy – have more nutrients than almost any other food. They’re excellent sources iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium; vitamins K, C, E and folate; and antioxidants and phytonutrients beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Consider having a windowsill or backyard full of these disease-busters; that way you don’t have to run to the supermarket to get green. Greens like kale, chard and spinach are remarkably easy to grow.

You’ll need a tray, small containers with holes in the bottom, seeds, seed-starting mix and water.

1.      Moisten a batch of commercial seed-starting mix by adding enough water to dampen but not soak the mix. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, try making your own seed starting mix (from www.yougrowgirl.com) and add it to small containers:

1 part peat or coir (Coir is a sustainable peat substitute made from coconut husks whereas peat is mined from marshland.)

1 part perlite (popped volcanic ash)

1 part vermiculite (water-absorbing material made from mica)

2.      Loosely fill each container with pre-moistened seed-starting mix and lightly press the soil to eliminate air pockets. Bury the seeds approximately as deep as they are in size.

3.      Sow a couple seeds in each container. Sow more than one to be sure at least one germinates. You can cut extras out later.

4.      Cover the seeds with a layer of seed-starting mix.

5.      Place your containers on a tray and water into the tray rather than the container. Remove any excess water still after 15 minutes.

6.      Place your tray in a warm spot, or use a heating mat.

7.      Label each container. You will not remember what you’ve started in which container.

8.      Keep the soil damp like a sponge that has been wrung out but not soaking wet.

9.      Once plants have grown the second set of leaves, known as ‘true leaves,’ water with fertilizer. Sea-kelp mix is a good choice.

10.  After growing true leaves, ‘harden off’ the seedlings by putting them outside in the sun for a little longer each day for about a week. Then plant outside.

Adapted from www.yougrowgirl.com, an inspiring blog about urban gardening.