John Myers
A healthy diet includes as many nutrients as possible from fresh vegetables, that’s a truism. In the hectic everyday life, however, we often lack the time to shop and cook broccoli, zucchini, and co. Greens promise a remedy.
Nutrient-Rich Vegetable Powder: Greens
Whether raw or cooked, vegetables are a healthy treat: But that only applies if they don’t come out of a can, but fresh on the table. Then the taste is best and the good ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements are retained.
However, most people simply do not have the time to shop every day and discover the variety of vegetable recipes. For this reason, fast suppliers of nutrients like the smoothie were invented, which at least accelerate the processing of vegetables and fruit.
Greens are also following this trend: The vegetable powder is marketed as a superfood that provides valuable ingredients in a concentrated form in a simple way.
Benefits and uses of greens
In fact, the nutrient content in dried vegetables is often higher than in fresh foods. So it makes sense to dry leafy vegetables, algae such as spirulina or chlorella and other green plants and grind them into a powder in order to get the most vital substances out of them.
Especially in the sports and fitness scene, greens are marketed as the ultimate superfoods. Since they are low in calories, they are said to help with weight loss and weight maintenance. The application is very simple: Mix one or two tablespoons with food or in a drink and the daily ration of vegetables is consumed.
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) is still critical of greens because, as a dietary supplement, they are not subject to any ingredient control. There was no information about the exact amounts of vital substances, the origin of the ingredients, the processing method, and any additives. As a result, there is a risk that some vitamins could be overdosed and that pollutants such as pesticides are contained in the greens. According to the DGE, the bioavailability, i.e. the usability of the ingredients in the body and the resulting health benefits, has not been scientifically proven.
Fresh vegetables and homemade powder are better
The DGE therefore recommends giving preference to fresh vegetables over greens: preferably seasonal produce or vegetables from your own garden. In this form, the plant-based diet provides the whole variety of vital substances, including important roughage, tastes good, and fills you up. As a guideline for the amount, the DGE recommends the 5-a-day rule, i.e. five servings of vegetables and fruit a day. If you would like to take advantage of greens in terms of availability and application, you can simply make the vegetable powder yourself. To do this, chop vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, celery, and leeks as finely as possible with a food processor, spread them out on a baking tray, and dry them in the oven at 80 degrees for about six to seven hours – mix them up occasionally. Then grind the dried vegetables into a powder and fill them in screw-top jars. So you’ve built up a supply of greens that you know what’s in them.
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