Eat more leafy greens.....but how?

It's common knowledge that we all need more veggies in our meals, especially leafy greens.  Today I'd like to share three ideas for getting more green on your plate (or in your cup).  

1.  Spinach salad is usually what we think of when we try to eat more greens.  Add fruit and nuts and it makes it taste great plus it adds fiber and more vitamins!  Here's a recipe for a healthier vinaigrette dressing:

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 T honey

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2.  Freeze bags of fresh spinach before they go bad to have them on hand for smoothies.  Grab a handful or two of frozen spinach and place in your blender.  Add water and blend for a few seconds to make a green liquid.  Add frozen fruit, and a banana or Greek yogurt to make it creamy!  Blend and pour!  This a great way to get fruits and veggies in your kids without them knowing.  Start with more fruit than spinach and gradually decrease the fruit and increase the greens!

3.  Drum roll please.....bite-sized spinach omelets!  My family loves omelets but they are labor intensive on a rushed morning.  These little treasures I found on Pinterest.  (The recipe came from everybodylovespretty.com)  I made a couple of changes and my kids LOVED it!  I was pleasantly surprised that they tasted like they had sausage in them because of the seasonings.  High in lean protein, fiber and they taste great!  You could have them on hand for a quick breakfast on the go!

Quinoa Spinach Omelet Bites

1 cup cooked quinoa, warmed

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or mozzarella or feta)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini muffin tin with cooking spray. (I own a Demarle silicone mini muffin pan and it doesn't need to be greased.  It's one of my favorite cooking tools!)

In a medium bowl, mix the warm quinoa with the cheese to melt the cheese.  Add the eggs, spinach, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  Stir to combine.

Spoon mixture into mini muffin tins, filling to the top. Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Run a small knife around the edges to remove the bites from the muffin tin.

How do you include more leafy greens in your meals?  I'd love to hear your ideas.