Healthiest Leafy Green Vegetables, Their Benefits, and Tips on How to Use Them More Often

Whether it’s the image of children pushing their peas onto the floor for the dog, or stories from older generations gagging down canned Brussels sprouts as kids, green vegetables don’t exactly scream, “I’m delicious!”.

But what if that’s not the whole story when it comes to green leafy vegetables?

The truth is that leafy greens are among the healthiest foods on the entire planet, and many countries outside of western cultures eat them on a daily basis.

It’s also true that leafy green vegetables can be an acquired taste, even well into adulthood, but the effort is worthwhile.

Understanding how to prepare them in ways that bring out their best flavors and textures, as well as the incredible health benefits they offer, can help you practice adding more leafy green vegetables to your lifestyle.

Why Eat Leafy Greens?

Leafy greens are incredibly good for you. They’re packed with nutrients and plant compounds that offer numerous benefits for your health.

For instance, leafy green vegetables are generally high in the following nutrients:

• Fiber
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin E
• Folate
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Magnesium

In addition to vitamins and minerals, leafy greens are rich in antioxidants, compounds that help protect your cells from oxidative damage that can encourage diseases.

They also contain phytochemicals (a fancy word for “plant chemicals”) with disease-fighting properties. Some of these include phylloquinone, lutein, nitrate, folate, alpha-tocopherol, and kaempferol.

Furthermore, eating leafy greens has been scientifically proven to be one of the best preventive health habits you can practice. Some of the reasons for this are discussed below.

Brain Health

A 2018 observational study published in the journal Neurology conducted food frequency questionnaires and cognitive assessments among 960 older participants from the Memory and Aging Project, with data collected over an average of 4.7 years. (1)

The authors found that consuming an average of one serving of leafy green vegetables per day may help slow cognitive decline, which is common with age.

Outcomes were adjusted for factors like age, sex, education, participation in cognitive activities, physical activities, smoking, and consumption of seafood and alcohol.

What’s even more impressive, though, is that the rate of cognitive decline for those who consumed at least 1.3 servings of leafy green veggies per day was the equivalent of being 11 years younger in age, compared to the other participants.

Furthermore, leafy greens have been found to have natural antidepressant properties, being ranked among the best plant foods for preventing and treating depressive disorders. (2)

Immune Function

In a 2011 animal study published in the journal Cell, researchers found that green vegetables may hold a key to the proper functioning of your immune system. (3)

This appears to be because they make sure immune cells in your gut and skin, called intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), are working as they’re supposed to be.

IELs are considered a first line of defense in wound repair because of their location throughout the body.

Leafy greens are packed with nutrients that can help support a healthy immune response.

For instance, not getting enough vitamin C is associated with a higher risk for illnesses and infections. (4)

Other micronutrients linked to immune function, such as vitamins A and E, iron, and B vitamins, can also be found in a variety of greens. (5)

Bone Health

Dairy products may get the limelight when it comes to bone health, but leafy greens are an unsung hero in this department.

Not only are they a good source of calcium, but they’re also rich in other nutrients necessary for bone metabolism and maintenance, like potassium and vitamin K1.

A 2020 study published in the journal Bone Reports followed 30 middle-aged individuals to assess the effects of eating two to three extra servings of green leafy vegetables per day on their bone metabolism. (6)

The authors found that those who consumed the most greens experienced an increased entry of osteoclasts into their bone matrix.

In other words, the additional vitamin K1 from the extra leafy greens appeared to substantially affect bone metabolism and support their skeletal health.

Another perk was that increasing the daily servings of greens was perceived to be pretty easy for participants.

Gut Health

Much of your immune response begins in your digestive tract, so it’s important to feed your gut well.

This means eating in a way that fuels the good bacteria and helps weed out the bad ones. Leafy greens are a great food to help promote a happy gut. (7)

Why? Leafy greens are full of fiber, a nutrient that helps promote bowel regularity and a clean digestive system, as well as reduce your risk for various chronic diseases. (8)

For instance, as fiber is fermented in your gut, short-chain fatty acids are produced that appear to be essential for maintaining a healthy microbiome. (9)

Plus, in a 2013 study published in the journal Nature Immunology, researchers found that leafy greens may control a population of immune cells, called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), that are critical for intestinal health. (10)

ILCs help repair small wounds in the gut, as well as encourage the growth of good gut bacteria.

Having a healthy population of ILCs also appears to be necessary for controlling food allergies, obesity, inflammatory diseases, and potentially even preventing bowel cancers. (11)

Related: 10 Evidence-Based Ways to Improve Your Gut Health

10 Healthiest Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables are so much more than a big bowl of salad. Below are some of the healthiest green vegetables you ever did see, plus some delicious ways to make them a more regular part of your diet.

1. Kale

Kale has had its time in the “superfoods” sun, and for a good reason.

It’s a cruciferous vegetable, alongside cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. And kale comes in various types, like purple, green, red, curly, or smooth.

Kale is particularly high in nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K, B6, manganese, calcium, copper, potassium, and magnesium. Like other greens, it’s low in calories and is a good source of fiber.

You’ll also get compounds like the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, as well as the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C when you eat kale. A single cup of kale actually contains more vitamin C than an orange. (12)

Studies have found that kale may help increase HDL “good” cholesterol, lower LDL “bad” cholesterol, and improve heart health. (13)

Its cholesterol-lowering effects have been compared to those of the drug cholestyramine, which is often used for this purpose. (14)

Additionally, kale and other cruciferous vegetables are rich in the sulfur-containing compound sulforaphane, which has been studied for its cancer-preventing properties. (15, 16)

2. Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce is one of the most common lettuce out there, often showing up in restaurant salads and sandwiches alike. It has a neutral flavor, a soft texture, and comes in a variety of green and red shades.

Like other greens, romaine is a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, as well as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and folate.

Some research even suggests that romaine lettuce may help improve sleep, thanks to compounds called lactucin and lactucopicrin. (17, 18)

3. Spinach

Spinach is a popular leafy green that’s actually related to beets and quinoa. It’s known for its oval-shaped leaves and mild flavor and texture, making it very versatile in recipes.

Nutritionally, spinach is a good source of fiber, vitamins A, K1, and C, folate, calcium, and iron. It also contains an array of antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Two of the prominent antioxidants in spinach are called lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that give certain fruits and vegetables their pigment and are known to benefit your eye health. (19)

Spinach also contains compounds called nitrates, which may be beneficial for your heart. Naturally-occurring nitrates, like those found in spinach, are metabolized into nitric oxide, a gas that helps promote healthy circulation. (20, 21)

4. Bok Choy

Bok choy is a type of Chinese white cabbage and is part of the cruciferous vegetable family. It resembles the heads of romaine in that it has a longer versus spherical shape.

Bok choy leaves are mostly white with green tips.

A one-cup serving of chopped bok choy offers 35% of your daily value for vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamins A and K1 and contains some fiber, calcium, iron, selenium, and manganese.

Some studies have found that eating bok choy may help lower the risk for certain cancers. (22)

This green leafy vegetable also contains compounds associated with better bone health, thyroid health, and heart health. (23, 24, 25)

5. Collard Greens

Collard greens are similar to kale in that they have a rougher texture, a firm stem, and belong to the cruciferous vegetable family. However, collards have longer, smoother, flat green leaves.

They’re rich in fiber, vitamins A, K1, and C, folate, calcium, iron, and antioxidants.

Like other cruciferous veggies, collard greens also contain compounds called glucosinolates. When these are broken down in your body, they are converted to isothiocyanate, which appears to have some anticancer characteristics. (26, 27)

Collard greens may be especially beneficial for your bone health, seeing as they offer over 800% of the daily value for vitamin K1 in just a one-cup serving cooked. (28)

6. Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is similar to collard greens in that it has long, smooth, flat leaves, but its stalks are a little easier to eat.

You may have seen Swiss chard in both green and rainbow varieties, with colorful stems of purple, yellow, red, and orange.

Eating Swiss chard may offer heart health benefits.

For instance, one 2018 study among over 173,000 people found that for every single serving of leafy green vegetables consumed per day, including Swiss chard, participants experienced an 11% reduction in heart disease risk. (29)

And when people ate at least 1.5 servings per day, they had a 17% lower risk compared to individuals who ate the fewest greens.

7. Microgreens

Microgreens are simply the greens from young vegetable plants, such as broccoli, radish, mesclun, and beetroot.

They’re generally harvested between 7–21 days after germination and are 1–3 inches in height when ready to eat.

Nutritionally, microgreens are a good source of antioxidants. They also contain minerals like potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and copper, which may meet or exceed the amounts found in mature greens. (30, 31)

Some research suggests that the antioxidants in microgreens may offer protective benefits against diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s dementia, diabetes, and heart disease. (32, 33, 34, 35)

8. Arugula

Another cruciferous vegetable, arugula is known for its more bitter, peppery taste compared to other leafy greens.

Arugula contains fiber, vitamins A, K, and C, folate, calcium, potassium, and may be especially high in anticancer compounds. (36)

9. Cabbage

Cabbage comes in a variety of colors, including red, purple, green, and white. While the head of cabbage looks similar to that of iceberg lettuce, it has a thicker texture and unique taste.

Red and purple cabbage are higher in anthocyanins, an antioxidant that gives plants pigments and likely offers heart health benefits. (37)

Cabbage is also rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which offers benefits for digestive health and bowel regularity, as well as normal immune function. (38, 39, 40)

10. Beet Greens

That’s right, the greens you usually throw out after preparing beets can also be eaten.

In fact, they’re high in antioxidants like beta-carotene and lutein, which may be especially beneficial for your eyes. (41)

Beet greens also have some potassium, calcium, riboflavin, vitamins A and K, and fiber.

The Bottom Line

Leafy green vegetables are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Fortunately, many of them are also relatively inexpensive and versatile, which is helpful if you’re not used to eating them and want to experiment.

Greens work well in salads, but can also be added to soups, stews, and stir-fries.

Try chopping them and sauteeing them on the stove with some oil and seasoning. Many leafy greens also work well blended into smoothies alongside fruits like pineapple and citrus.

Adding more leafy greens to your diet can be as simple as incorporating them into dishes you already eat and enjoy.

Plus, you gain the added nutritional and health benefits they have to offer in even a small serving.