Leafy green vegetables are considered one of the healthiest food groups, and these particular varieties stand out for their anti-ageing benefits for the skin and the entire body. We highlight their most important benefits and explain why it is especially important to include them in your diet during summer.
How often have you heard the familiar phrase “eat your greens”, meaning eat leafy green vegetables? It is advice most of us have heard since childhood, first from our parents and grandparents, and later from doctors and nutritionists. But it is more than just a well-meaning recommendation. Regularly eating leafy green vegetables is one of the foundations of a healthy diet in almost every part of the world.
These plant-based foods are a veritable treasure trove of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Not only do they help protect against numerous diseases, but they also support heart, brain and immune health, improve the appearance of the skin, boost energy levels and make it easier to maintain a healthy body weight. That is why it is important to eat them regularly and enjoy a wide variety, so you can benefit from each individual plant.
Summer is the ideal time to eat them because they can be enjoyed raw, preserving all the valuable nutrients that may be partially lost during cooking. At this time of year, markets and shop shelves are overflowing with fresh, intensely green leafy vegetables. To make choosing easier, we have selected eight varieties that particularly stand out for their beneficial effects on health and beauty. With a little imagination, they can also become a true culinary delight.
Watercress
Watercress has repeatedly topped rankings of the world’s healthiest vegetables. This unassuming plant is exceptionally rich in nutrients. A single serving provides as much as 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K, which is important for protecting bones and preventing osteoporosis. It also contains vitamin A, which contributes to healthier-looking skin, vitamin C, which is needed for collagen production, lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes, calcium for healthy bones, and numerous antioxidants that help protect the body from various diseases, including chronic conditions.
Add a handful of watercress to salads, cold soups such as gazpacho or smoothies. You can also use it to make a fragrant pesto with a peppery flavour.
Curly kale
Kale has been a favourite among healthy-living enthusiasts and numerous celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Miranda Kerr, Beyoncé and Jennifer Aniston, for years. It has earned its superfood status for good reason. It is rich in antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which protect the body from disease, slow the signs of ageing and contribute to more radiant-looking skin.
To make it easier to digest, finely chop the leaves and add them to creative salads, perhaps with cottage cheese and raisins or mung beans and cashews. It pairs beautifully with tahini sauce and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Viktoria Slowikowska
Spinach
Light, crisp when fresh, low in calories and exceptionally nutritious, spinach is one of the best foods to include on a summer menu. It is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that have a positive effect on the health of the skin, eyes and heart. It contains vitamins A, E, C and K, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium.
It is best eaten raw to preserve all its nutritional properties. Try it in salads with avocado, chopped walnuts and strips of tempeh.
Seaweed
Although technically marine organisms, seaweed is considered a vegetable in culinary terms. These superfoods, which are an essential part of Japanese cuisine, are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, collagen that supports skin health, magnesium that helps combat stress, and omega-3 fatty acids that support brain function.
They also promote hair growth and support thyroid and digestive function. Sprinkle nori flakes over salads, rice, spelt or quinoa, and add a piece of wakame or kombu to summer soups and creamy soups, such as pea and sweet potato.
Rocket
Rocket is an essential ingredient in many Mediterranean salads, such as one with bresaola and Parmesan, and many people love it for its distinctive flavour, which gives every dish a unique character. As well as being delicious, it is exceptionally healthy. It contains powerful anti-ageing antioxidants, vitamins A, C and K, minerals such as calcium, potassium and iron, and B vitamins, including folic acid, which is particularly important during pregnancy. It also aids digestion and helps remineralise the body.
Do not limit it to salads. Add it to smoothies, sprinkle it over ceviche or carpaccio, including beetroot carpaccio, or stir it into dishes made with quinoa, barley, spelt or brown rice.
Related: Three salads so good I forgot about pasta and pizza
Lamb’s lettuce
This delicate Mediterranean salad green with fleshy leaves is often unfairly overlooked. Native to Sicily and Sardinia, the plant is rich in fibre, vitamins A, C and E, and minerals such as potassium and iron. Lamb’s lettuce has detoxifying and diuretic properties, helps combat anaemia, strengthens capillaries, protects the heart, aids digestion and keeps you feeling full for longer, making it an excellent choice for a low-calorie diet.
It is most commonly eaten in salads, perhaps with fresh goat’s cheese or ricotta and toasted sunflower and sesame seeds. You can also blend it raw with boiled potatoes and leeks to make a delicious creamy soup.
Swiss chard
It may come as a surprise, but humble Swiss chard is a true beauty food. It provides the entire recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which supports skin health, and as much as twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin K, which is essential for strong bones. It also contains vitamin C, which promotes collagen production, biotin for stronger hair, potassium, which helps the body eliminate excess fluid, lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health, and magnesium, which helps combat stress.
Choose young Swiss chard with thinner stalks and more tender leaves, and eat it raw in salads, perhaps with an anchovy dressing, crumbled feta and buckwheat bread croutons.
Related: Quick and healthy summer dinners for when you do not feel like cooking
Pak choi
Native to Asia and also known as Chinese cabbage, this vegetable is now increasingly available in Europe and makes an excellent addition to an everyday diet. Its large green leaves are rich in beta-carotene, which protects the skin from the sun, antioxidant vitamin C, vitamin K, which supports bone health, folate, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.
If you want to eat it raw, choose young, tender heads, slice them into thin strips and dress with olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce and pieces of lightly toasted tofu. You can also cut it in half, grill it briefly, season with a few drops of soy sauce and lemon juice, and sprinkle with chopped parsley and almonds.
