Quick and Easy Greens to Make You Lean

I have a confession to make. While I absolutely love my veggies - espcially green ones - even I occassionally "hit the wall" and think: "Ugh, not another stalk of broccoli." That's when I know it's time to step up my game and mix things up.

Here's a great recipe from Whole Foods using swiss chard. Swiss chard tastes similar to spinach but is a relative of the beets. You can find it in red, white, and rainbow colors (I kid you not). Chard is also a nutritional powerhouse with 1 cooked cup providing 4 grams of fiber and more than 100mg of calcium. It's also packed with potassium, vitamins A and C, and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that support eye health and protect against macular degeneration. Here's the recipe:

Swiss Chard with Tomatoes, Feta, and Pine Nuts









Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped separately, divided
Sea salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or 1 tomato, cored and chopped
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Method

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Cover and cook 5 minutes more. Uncover, add chard leaves, salt, pepper and broth and cook, covered, until chard leaves are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and gently stir in tomatoes. Scatter cheese and pine nuts over the top and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 6oz/177g-wt.): 130 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 700mg sodium, 10g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 5g protein