Bitter Veggies - WHAT!!!

Over the last ten thousand years of agriculture, farming has removed the bitterness from most of our greens. While reading the book," Eating on the Wild Side" by Jo Robinson, I discovered several different reasons and facts.

In stripping away the bitterness, we stripped away most of the highly beneficial phytonutrients. If you taste dandelion greens, you will experience a high degree of bitterness. But these greens have eight times more antioxidants, two times more calcium, and three times more vitamin K and E than spinach. Calcium has a bitter taste, so the calcium content of the greens we eat today could be a factor in the rise of osteoporosis in older Americans. We may prefer milder vegetables, but we miss important nutrients.

People have a dislike for bitter-tasting food. Some more than others, depending on our genes and culture. This built-in repulsion protects us from eating poisonous plants. So be careful eating plants you do not recognize. Years ago, I knew a dairy farmer who trimmed the hedge by his house and threw the trimmings over the fence for his cows to enjoy. He lost 25% of his herd that day as the hedge was hemlock, a deadly plant he was unaware was growing as a decorative hedge. Plants can be deadly.

How can you increase the nutrients of the plants you enjoy? Eat more dark green, red, or redish-brown greens. Americans consume more servings of iceberg lettuce per week than all other fresh vegetables combined. When you purchase leaf lettuce, be sure to eat the outer leaves. The outer leaves have more nutrients than the inside due to their relationship to the sun's UV rays. Buy lettuce that has loose leaves rather than tight heads. Eat a mixture of different salad mixes. Not just plain lettuce.

Most important, eat a variety of vegetables. If you don't eat vegetables, think hard about what Mother Nature offers. Come and visit Farmer's Markets and explore the wonderful fresh vegetables offered. Start a vegetable garden and connect with nature while growing tasty, nutritious vegetables. Join a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and enjoy a selection of fresh, tasty seasonal vegetables.

Your body, soul, and the earth will thank you.