Mustard Greens

– These mighty greens have a very strong flavor. Some people describe it as peppery, but really “mustardy” could be a better description. Yes, they are much stronger than other popular leaves like spinach, kale or collards, but they have their own set of nutrition powers that makes them a good addition to meal planning.

First, mustard greens are packed with vitamin K like most dark leafy greens, but they also have a very high vitamin C content, even when cooked. And they’re a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, and fiber. This means that mustard greens are great for our bones, our muscles, our heart, our brain, our immune function, our red blood cells, and our metabolism, among other things. And just as other dark leafy greens, mustard greens are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are great for our eyes, protecting them from blue light and macular degeneration due to aging.

Another fantastic power is that mustard greens belong to the cruciferous family, or the cabbage family. This means that they are a great source of sulforaphane, a phytochemical with strong anti-cancer powers. If you cook them, do allow 40 minutes between chopping them (the action that activates sulforaphane in the plant) and cooking them. This is because the heat kills one of sulforaphane’s precursors, myrosinase enzyme, and it takes 40 minutes for sulforaphane to get activated from the moment we chop or chew it. The good news is that sulforaphane is heat resistant, so once it’s there, you can cook your mustard greens, and enjoy all their benefits.

If the flavor is too strong for you, try mixing it with milder greens in a salad, or with other ingredients in a soup or dish. Some people love its pungent flavor, though. If you do, make yourself a super powerful mustard greens salad bowl and enjoy!