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Step aside salad. You’re no longer the only way to get dark leafy greens into my diet. I’m sharing a leafy green list of greatness with you as well as how to use greens in a smoothie like the best green smoothie (or salad or soup or anything) as well as why it’s good to rotate your greens and try something like a kale banana smoothie every so often. Ready, set, go green!
Table of Contents
What are Leafy Greens?
Leafy greens are super important for a healthy diet. They’re nutrient-dense, green veggies that provide tons of vitamins and minerals. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, a daily serving of leafy greens can lead to slower age-related cognitive decline.
Greens can be found as the tops of other plants (here’s looking at you, carrot tops and beet greens), or as plants in their own right. They come in all shapes, sizes, textures, shades and seasons. They aren’t even all in the same plant family.
If your taste buds have ever balked at something dark green and leafy, never fear! I’ve got some great new options for you to blend.
The Ultimate Dark Leafy Greens List
I often talk about rotating your greens. This is because greens come from all different plant families, each offering different health benefits. Yet if spinach is your jam, no worries! Your body will tell you when it’s time for a leafy green change-up. Read on to learn about some different types of greens, as well as my favorite options in each family.
Crucifers
Kale
Having a health issue? Kale can help with that. Seriously, kale is at the top of the superfood chain. With 684% of the recommended daily value of vitamin K, 206% of the RDV of vitamin A and 134% of the RDV of vitamin C, this dark leafy green packs a health punch. Kale has the highest level of antioxidants when consumed raw, yet does retain some health benefits when cooked. Try kale in this simple kale smoothie.
Collard
Like their other cruciferous family members, collard greens are great cancer fighters. They are also pretty good at helping your body digest foods properly with all the fiber inside. They are most popular steamed, but adding them raw to your smoothies will provide greater health benefits. Try some alkaline recipes to experiment with collards.
Cabbage
Cabbage is yet another example of a cruciferous cancer-fighting leafy green. This veggie can actually be purple, red, white or green, but is definitely still considered a leafy green. I love using cabbage as a plant-based taco shell, blended in a cabbage smoothie or roasted cabbage with light seasoning. Loaded with fiber, folate, vitamin B6 and antioxidants which help fight inflammation.
Bok Choy
This unique green vegetable is typically grown and harvested in China. Full of vitamins A and C, bok choy ranks high for nutrient density as well. All parts of the plant can be used: shredded in a salad, my vegetarian ramen, cooked in soup or blended in a smoothie.
Arugula
More than just a garnish, this leafy green has a peppery taste and a full nutrient profile. One cup contains 27.7% of the RDV of vitamin K. It has a stronger flavor than other cruciferous greens on my list, yet is fun in lemon arugula salad or strawberry arugula salad, homemade arugula pesto, or as a pizza topping on my incredibly delicious plant-based pizza recipe.
Amaranth
Spinach
It’s hard to beat spinach when talking about nutrient-packed greens. Just one leaf contains a sampling of more than 20 different nutrients. The list of benefits is nearly as long as the number of nutrients:
- cancer-fighting
- blood pressure lowering
- bone strengthening
- cardiovascular helping
- brain boosting
- skin smoothing
- vision improving
- inflammation reducing
- energy increasing
Beet Greens
I recommend branching out and trying beet greens for your next smoothie! They include a wide variety of nutrients, and can easily be substituted in any recipe with spinach, kale or chard. Our friends at Epicurious will kick-start your love for dark leafy beet greens with some of their favorite recipes.
Chard
Looking to put a pep in your leafy green step? Chard is a colorful, dark leaf known for its ability to regulate the body’s blood sugar. Translation? If diabetes or maintaining blood sugar levels is a concern, add this veggie to your regular rotation. Perfect for the afternoon smoothie pick-me-up!
Asteraceae
Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is good for the heart and low in calories. The vitamin C and beta-carotene content help to lower cholesterol and prevent build-up on artery walls, which reduces the risk of a heart attack.
Not a fan of lettuce salads? Then use romaine as a food wrap like I do in these Thai lettuce wraps or blend it into this gazpacho soup recipe.
Apiaceae
Carrot Tops
Who knew those frilly greens on the tops of carrots could come in handy? #NoFoodWaste. Filled with chlorophyll, which can fight against tumor growth and acts as a cleansing agent, carrot tops are the perfect addition to smoothies like this carrot top smoothie.
If you really want to boost your next smoothie, toss in the carrot and its top.
How Often Should You Rotate Greens?
Most of the smoothie and meal recipes I create use kale or spinach. That’s because these are the most easily found and affordable leafy greens available at the grocery store. Plus, they are in different leafy green families, so it makes rotating my greens easy-peasy.
Alkaloid Build Up
Why is it important to rotate through this leafy green list? All greens have small amounts of toxins. If you only consume greens from one family, your body may start to experience alkaloid build up. This is very rare and easy to avoid. Just try a different leafy green every once in a while.
I recommend rotating your greens once a week. This way, your body doesn’t get too much of a good thing in one leafy green family, and you get the chance to reward your body with new nutrients from a different green family.
Basically, by rotating greens on a regular basis, you avoid building up the toxins from one green. And, this gives you a reason to try that new fun green you’re always eyeing at the farmer’s market.
While our green smoothies are super easy to swap out one green for another, I’ve also got a meal planner full of plant-based recipes. Rawk the Year makes finding new recipes a breeze, and helps you incorporate the whole rainbow into your week. This meal planner also equips you with the kitchen skills to change up your veggies with ease!
Freezing Your Leafy Greens
Ever wonder how to use up all that beautiful produce you just bought, before it starts to wilt? Even though I make green smoothies daily, I still find that my greens never stay fresh as long as I need.
To lengthen the shelf life of those leafy greens and make rotating your greens as easy as opening your freezer, I came up with a way to freeze your greens. This way, you can have your greens and eat them too! Since I typically buy spinach and kale at Costco, I found that freezing them in ice cube trays and then storing them in freezer containers is the perfect solution to maximizing the freshness.
Bonus: Frozen greens can help keep that smoothie cool.
Leafy Greens FAQs
You’ve probably heard of spinach, kale and lettuce, but leafy greens also include carrot tops, beet greens, swiss chard, arugula and more! They can grow all on their own, or be found on the tops of other plants (like broccoli, beets and carrots).
All leafy greens are incredibly nutritious and great to mix into your diet. Kale and spinach are probably the most nutrient-dense, yet you need a variety of greens (and other fruits and vegetables) for the best health. Don’t be afraid to give a new one a try next time you’re at the store. You might be surprised by mustard greens, bok choy and more!
Greens don’t just take place in salads or garnishes for burgers. You can use them in green smoothies, all kinds of pesto, filling for stuffed mushrooms or potatoes. Pretty much anything you want! Next time you are grocery shopping, grab a new-to-you leafy green and get adventurous with how you prepare it.
The Ultimate Green Smoothie App
Our amazing app, Daily Blends Smoothie app., has hundreds of recipes ready for you to work your way through the leafy greens list! You can sort by the ingredients you have on hand or the type of smoothie you want to try. It’s a great app to try a new recipe and catalog your favorites.
What are your favorite leafy greens? Drop a comment below and let me know if this list has inspired you to try a new ingredient, or if you’ve got a new green for me to try!
I use often Spinach,Pok Choy Carrot Tops and Beets Tops.Since last week we have again Kale in the Market,but I love most Spinach and Beet Tops
You are RAWking those leafy greens, Alice! 🙂
So glad you posted this. I have been just using spinach in my smoothies and only kale occasionally.
Thanks for sharing Deborah, which leafy green are you going to try next?
I am really curious to know if that giant collard leaf is really digestible raw. It just looks so tough. Kale, collard, and cabbage sometimes hard to digest? And is it best to keep the proportion small?
Hey Joyce.
Here are some tips to help blend.
1. Tightly pack 2 cups of leafy greens in a measuring cup and then toss into blender.
2. Add 2 cups of water and blend together until all leafy chunks are gone.
3. Add 3 cups of fruit and blend again until smooth.
4. Pour into a mason jar (or cute cup of your choice).
5. Gulp or sip like a rawkstar!
Hope that helps.
Just joined your site yesterday. Fantastic level of information. Just had my first green smoothie and looking forward to stuffing myself with all those lovey leafy greens that I don’t tend to get round to having as part of regular meals. Thanks girls x
Wonderful Julie! Which smoothie did you try first?
I have recently read the article by the juice ladies about foods that affect our thyroid. Are there any other greens besides these that I can eat?
Dandelion greens
Romaine lettuce
Celery
Carrot tops
Spinach
Beet greens
Chard
Thank you,
Deb
Hey Debra!
Have you tried any of our detoxing herbs? https://simplegreensmoothies.com/fresh-herbs
Cilantro & Kale are great options as well.
We believe if you rotate you preventing alkaloid build-up. When rotating, keep in mind to go from family to family. You may have to experiment with a few different greens from each family to find out what you like, and what has the best benefits for you, but the benefits are worth it! Once you know what you like you can find staple recipes that go well with each green. Rotating is good for you, keeps things fresh, and simple. Cheers!
Hope that helps.
I had kale and spinich most days in my smoothie and became very I’ll with severe stomach cramps one evening I had to go to the hospital for tests. They found nothing and couldn’t explain it so I did my research and put it down to kale poisoning. Crucifiable veg needs to be semi cooked before hand as its very hard to digest. I as in severe pain for about 2 months!!!
Hey Terri!
So sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well. Hope you are feeling better. All the best to you in the future. 🙂
Hi, I have been having kale and spinach green juice for about 2 years now and have never heard of kale poisoning. I also have many friends that also now dring it and they are all fine. I also raised my eldest son on raw vegies (the only way he would eat them) and he is now a strong healthy young man. I wonder if maybe you just had a bug? 🙂
Do you have a link to a chart showing the different plant categories?
No we do not at this time, Joanneh, but that is a great idea.
Are these the only greens families that should be used? Or are they the best tasting to blend with fruits? Does rapini (broccoli rabe) fit in, or mustard greens? Where would mizuna fit?
Thanks for taking time to answer questions!
Today was my first attempt at green smoothies, I had kale at breakfast and beet greens for an afternoon snack. Feeling great!
Hey Joanneh!
You can use any kind of leafy green you prefer. These are suggestions. 🙂
Wonderful to hear that you are feeling great!
I found a paleo smoothie recipe that actually was VERY good. handful of spinach, handful of kale, about 1/2 a cup of pineapple, 1/4 avacado, 350ml coconut water and 4 icecubes. It is actually extremely good! and you can add more pineapple if you want more of a pinacolada taste. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing, Jen!
I tried bay leaves in my smoothie, but the taste is too strong and tends to overwhelm the smoothie.
so no more, or possibly single leaves on occasion.
Sounds good! 🙂
New day today, so had a strawberry, blackberry (frozen mix) and banana smoothie, with a handful of curly kale and a few sprigs of lemon balm.
I also added a few overnight soaked cashews to keep it silky smooth and add extra omega 3. Then also added a sprinkle of agar agar powder to add natural iodine.
Very nice .. set up for a busy day.
Now I am planning my garden vegetable plot with greens in mind …
Thanks Tony! Sounds great!
Hi, in my garden i have lots of lush bay leaves, young ones.
any comments on using them in a smoothie?
i like to try use what is already growing in my garden.
i also had a parsley and banana smoothie this morning, nice. got loads in the vegetable plot.
i have also picked some mature strawberry leaves, and use them sparingly.
all frozen in singly portion bags, as i am in my pyjamas in the morning … lol
Good morning!
Here is an article on how we enjoy our herbs.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/fresh-herbs
Keep on growing!
I never even thought about eating the strawberry leaves! Do you use them sparingly because they are stong flavored?
Hey Tammy!
You can start with a few and see how that works, if you would like. 🙂
First, I would like to say that I’m on day 7 of the green smoothie challenge and I am amazed at how energized I feel! I’ve pretty much cut out my caffeine, drinking more water and having a smoothie every morning and maybe in the afternoon for a snack. I’m not dragging during the day even after chasing a toddler around.
That being said, I tried the piña colada smoothie today. I didn’t have any spinach on hand, plus had been eating it for the past week, so in order to “rotate” I bought arugula. Not loving it, but still got it down. I could eat spinach every day! But if I need to rotate, what would be the best leafy green with a mild taste like spinach? Romaine, I’m guessing? How do you feel about a spring mix?
Thanks!!!
Have you tried Baby Kale, ESR?
I might give it a try again but I thought I’d had it before and didn’t like it. Maybe it was just kale??? Anyway, went to the store again today and bought more spinach and some romaine. I tried the melon berry smoothie today and added unsalted almond butter for protein. Loved it. I’ve even managed to talk my hubby into letting me make one for him for breakfast tomorrow!
Awesome ESR! Maybe try baby kale, it is a lot more mild than full grown kale. 🙂
Great suggestion on using baby kale! Do you know if baby kale has the same level of nutrients as full grown kale?
I am not completely sure, Dave. Full grown or baby Kale will have great nutrients either way, one might have a little more. 🙂
So if I eat all from one family, eg spinach, then beet greens, then spinach, etc. is that not considered rotating? Just making sure I’m following.
Good questions Sarah. Following.
Hi Sarah! That is correct. Try eating from different families of leafy greens. i.e. APIACEAE, ASTERACEAE, CRUCIFERS
Hope that helps. 🙂
Like the article. I started to eat much more healthy since last week. I eat 3 cups of veggies for lunch, about 2 green, green beans and broccoli or baby marrow. And one cup of carrot or yams. For dinner I will eat half of my plate with mixed leafy greens, and small piece of meat. But I read on the internet that spinach and kale block the absorption of calsium 🙁 Now I don’t know if it’s such a good thing to eat so much spinach and kale every day.
Hi Christi!
Spinach and kale are great for your body. Could you give us the link where you read that they block calcium? We don’t normally eat leafy greens with EVERY meal, but they are great to have for one to two meals a day!
Don’t believe that, Kale & spinach does not block the absorption of calcium or anything else for that matter. Don’t let anyone especially the medical industry or pharmaceutical companies stop you from eating greens or any veggies & fruits because, they keep making up rumors so people will stop eating healthy & start getting sick & then whats next? Purchasing there killer Prescription Medicines. Don’t believe the hype because they will say anything to make a sell. All Veggies,Fruit’s, nut’s & seeds aka(plant based diet) are the healthiest things on earth to eat & do not let anyone stop you from feeding your body healthy food like all veggies,fruit’s, nut’s & seeds. A plant based diet is the healthiest diet for any & every one’s body no matter what anyone lie’s & says. Do not believe them because all they want is for all of us to get sick, so they can sell us more & more killer prescription drugs &as far as I’m concerned they can keep all of there processed foods (Lab Foods), lab made drugs out of my body. Let thy food, be thy medicine. Eat to live, not live to eat people.
False, kale is one of the best sources of calcium available, aside from oranges, arugula (rocket) and sea vegetables. On the other hand, meat and other animal products strip you body of calcium to neutralise the acidic phosphorus and sulphur found in them.
Vicky, a balanced diet is what is important. Excessive protein intake will create excessive ash that needs to be neutralized, i.e., leeching calcium from bone. This does not happen with a balanced diet that can well include animal products. A good source I used for my masters in Nutrition program was Krause’s Food and Nutrition Therapy and Devlin’s Biochemistry texts.
Thanks for sharing Liz.
Hi Ladies, I’m a lazy and busy person so I find it easier on weekends to buy different leafy veggies (my reg. choices are kale, swiss chard, romaine & spinach) & fruit. I clean, chop up, & mix (all leaves together) and I do the same with fruit in another container. I then take small bags, place a mix of fruit, ginger, turmeric; then leafy vegetables in them and freeze. Every morning I take out a small bag from the freezer and place in blender along with goji berries, chia and/or hemp, I have enough to start and end my day, each day. Should I rethink my practice of mixing?
Hi ck!
It sounds like you have a good system down. I might recommend keep the different types of leafy greens separate instead of mixing them all, but that’s about it 🙂
You don’t sound lazy to me! 🙂