By St. Patrick’s day is coming up, I hope you are just as excited as I am. Green is my favorite colour so I have always gotten pretty excited to celebrate the holiday since I was little. Now that I’m old it seems that this grade school tradition has been exchanged with drinking green beer. However, rather than drinking cheap beer died green, I prefer to play with my food and see how many green foods I can eat without the use of food died and sticking to whole foods. For me, it’s way more fun to play with my food over the day when compared to getting drunk on green beer.
Over the years that I have been eating green on St. Patrick’s day, I have found that these five foods have been the true MVP.
- Spinach
Although maybe not the more surprising one on the list this one is probably the most versatile. I have made pestos, pancakes, bread, overnight oats, justice, smoothes and of course salads, just to name of few ways I’ve used this leafy green. Spinach produces a beautiful green colour that dyes just about any food you put it in, without adding much of a taste, and what little taste it has can be easily covered up in sweeter applications.
- Matcha
If you are a tea fan like me you are probably familiar with this powdered green tea. Matcha is made by grinding green tea leave often from the first flush or picking of the tea plants. If you want me to nerd out about tea let me know in the comments below, I am more than willing to do so. This green powder can be used in drinks, desserts, smoothies, and ice cream. I love the earthy green tea taste that it has that goes well with plant-based milk and a little sweetness.
- Zucchini
Zucchini is one of my go-to veggies to add to just about any stir-fry, curry, salad (especially when roasted), eaten raw, or pasta dishes. It regularly makes an appearance in my meals throughout the year and is always a part of my St. Patrick’s day meals. Not the most nutritious veggies out there, but it’s delicious, and sometimes that’s all that matters.
- Kiwi
The one challenge that I have faced while eating green on St. Patrick’s day, is the lack of green fruits. Yes, there are granny smith apples but I’m not a huge fan of eating them raw, and cooking this often means removing the one part of them that is green. But that’s where Kiwis come in. The bright green colour fruit not only adds a nice splash of colour but also a bit of sweetness with a touch of sour. I like to think of them as the sour patch kids of the fruit world.
- Brocolli
Now, this nutritional powerhouse is also a must-have on my St. Patrick’s day menu. Broccoli is part of the cruciferous vegetable family that includes kale, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage (other green veggies I love to include) and are high in many vitamins and minerals like Vitamine A, Vitamine C, and Calcium. I have included broccoli in stir-frys, curries, roasted veggies, pasta, salads, and steamed broccoli topped with garlic, sesame oil, and green onions is one of my favorite side dishes.
I hope I have inspired you to eat more green foods and your everyday diet, not just on St. Patrick’s day. Get creative and see if you can eat green for a day. Trust me it’s a lot of fun to get creative and start playing in the kitchen.
