vegetables

While a huge plate of corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread washed down with a pint of Guinness is a St. Patty's Day staple, it's not exactly the healthiest way to celebrate this holiday. Mix it up and go green with these healthy recipes featuring low-calorie, high-fiber leafy greens.

Better Than Trader Joe's Kale Salad

Made with raw kale, edamame, garbanzos, and cranberries, this protein-packed salad is flavored with basil and mint. Your body is sure to appreciate that kale is rich in bone-strengthening calcium, as well as immune-boosting vitamins A and C.

Spinach, Apple, and Feta Salad

Source: Flickr User ccharmon

Don't have a ton of time? This salad made with fresh spinach, sliced apples, and feta cheese, and tossed with red wine vinegar and only takes minutes to prep. Spinach helps you get your fill of folate (great for pregnant and nursing mommas), iron, and potassium.

Rainbow Chard, Avocado, Asparagus Quinoa With Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

Keep reading for this delicious chard and quinoa recipe as well as a crostini appetizer featuring arugula.

Not everyone loves to eat their veggies. If you're having a hard time stomaching a huge salad or a side of sauteed kale, it doesn't mean you can't reap the benefits of this nutritious food group — you just have to get a little creative and trick your taste buds.

If you have a baby in your life, then you're already familiar with their little jars of pureed food. While we're not recommending you stock up on jars of baby food, pureed veggies are an easy way to sneak produce into your diet. Mixed in with your favorite recipes, you'll hardly be able to taste them. Puree veggies to use them right away, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. You can also make a larger batch of puree veggies and freeze one-ounce portions in BPA-free ice cube trays to use for later.

Check out the list below to see which vegetables puree well, which freeze well, and how they can be used.

Move over, Winter vegetables. Spring's crops are around the corner, including the highly nutritious asparagus. Not only does asparagus contain high levels of vitamin K and is a good source of vitamins A and C, but also, the veggie may just be your ticket to a few lost pounds. Here are three reasons why asparagus can help you lose weight.

It may suppress your appetite: Asparagus is a great source of the soluble fiber inulin, which in some studies has been shown to suppress appetite — one study found that six grams of inulin could be as filling as 260 calories of food.

It may help regulate blood sugar: Asparagus is an excellent source of many different B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, and B6. Certain types of B vitamins may work together to metabolize glucose to regulate your blood sugar, according to some research. And maintaining stable blood sugar levels helps you avoid crashes and binges that can lead to overeating.

It de-bloats: The high fiber content in asparagus encourages digestive health by keeping your system moving and stimulating probiotic growth, while its high vitamin K content acts as a natural diuretic, making asparagus a great tool for anyone looking to feel a little less puffy. De-bloating can help you look and feel your best, so check out some of our favorite de-bloating asparagus recipes here.

Throwing some leafy greens into your smoothie is a great way to trick your taste buds into getting added fiber and calcium — it purees so well with the sweeter ingredients that you can't even taste it. I usually add whatever I have in the fridge — like baby spinach leaves or chopped kale — but does one offer bigger nutrition bang for your buck? Check out the chart below to see how these two veggies compare.

As you can see, they both offer the same amount of fiber and protein, but for fewer calories, spinach offers more folate, which is necessary for pregnant or nursing moms. Spinach is also higher in iron, which your body needs to carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. It offers more magnesium — a mineral that if you're deficient in can lead to headaches, muscle cramps, and chronic fatigue. You'll also appreciate the higher levels of manganese needed to keep your blood sugar levels and thyroid functions normal. And who couldn't use a little extra potassium? This valuable mineral helps with bone growth and may reduce high blood pressure.

Keep reading to find out why you might want to choose kale.

Before you dread another serving of plain steamed broccoli for dinner, try a new way to eat your greens. You can incorporate these veggies from your breakfast glass to the dinner plate and enjoy every second of it. Which meal will you switch up next? Here's how to incorporate more greens into your diet.

• Stir them into soup: Next time your broth begins to simmer, throw washed spinach or kale in with it. The heat will cook the leaves like a steamer does, and you won't have to sauté your vegetables with cholesterol-heavy butter or oils. This is healthier and more time efficient as well.
• Slip greens into your chicken breast: Surprise your tasters by embedding leafy greens into your chicken breast. Before cooking the chicken, make a tiny incision on the side of the breast like a pocket, and fill the pouch with light cheese or honey mustard and greens of your choice. Then close the breast with a toothpick and bake it as you normally would.

Read on for three more inventive ways to eat more veggies.