Nutritious Collard Greens – recipes
As a green leafy vegetable, collard greens are among the best available for your health. They’re actually a member of the cruciferous family, along with broccoli and cabbage, and as such they’re packed with vitamin C, soluble fiber, and numerous cancer-fighting phytonutrients.
Collards are available year round, but they are actually tastier and more nutritious in the cold months, after the first frost. For the best texture, they should be picked before they reach their full maturity.
Popular in southern cooking, they are usually stewed with meat for a long period of time, losing much of the nutritional benefit, but there’s many healthier ways to incorporate them into your diet. They hold up to cooking much better than other greens, so they can be added toward the end of preparing soups and stews and still keep their texture. Sliced thinly, they can be lightly steamed and tossed with a vinegar dressing. Steamed whole, they are strong enough to be used as wraps for a burrito alternative.
Recipes
Portobellos with Collards and Cannellini Beans
Collard Greens with Almonds
Tempeh Collard Wraps Read more
Nuts are powerful for our health. The evidence is in and there’s a lot of it. Nuts, such as cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, can reduce the risk of death from diabetes by 40 percent, cut heart disease by 30 percent, and reduce the risk of cancer by 15 percent. They also lower the risk of high blood pressure and gall stones, and can even lower cholesterol and triglycerides. Even more good news – it only takes a handful or two of nuts two or three times a week to gain these benefits. 
Good news for nut lovers: Nuts do more than add texture and flavor to meatless meals such as salads, veggie burgers, and pilafs—they also add nutrients. Nuts have protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They also have excellent array of phytonutrients and some are very high in omega 3 essential fatty acids. Nuts have been shown to lower the risk of many common diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation and some cancers.