Top 3 Benefits of Green Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens are among the most nutritious vegetables you can eat. They’re also extremely versatile (eat them raw, saute them, boil them, bake them, eat them in a sauce or stew!). This produce category is home to many delicious (and nutritious) members.

For example, Growcer growers dabble in this leafy green vegetable list by growing everything from arugula to basil to mint and even mountain sorrel (qungulit).

Let’s take a closer look at these powerhouse vegetables and how they benefit individuals, communities, and growers alike.

The Health Benefits of Eating Leafy Green Vegetables

1. Packed With Nutrients

Leafy greens are packed with fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, and B-vitamins. The health benefits of dark leafy greens stretch even further - they also contain high levels of carotenoids-antioxidants, along with high levels of iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium.

2. Protect Against Diseases

When discussing disease, it’s important to keep in mind that Indigenous communities face a significantly higher risk of chronic diseases than non-indigenous Canadians. In Canada, prevalence rates for diabetes are 17.2 percent among First Nations individuals living on-reserve, compared to 5 percent in the general population, according to Diabetes Canada. This is due to complex issues, not just related to food consumption, but symptomatic of the ongoing oppression of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Organizations such as the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle and Diabetes Canada are working to help affected communities and are home to helpful resources like printable fact sheets on key nutrients.

Seeding qungulit (mountain sorrel) in Inukjuak.

Diabetes

There is growing evidence eating leafy greens may help to cut the risk of diabetes. Researchers found that eating one and a half extra servings of green leafy vegetables a day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 14%.

Cancer

Due to the high levels of antioxidants found in green leafy vegetables, they may be one of the best foods to prevent cancer. Eating 2 to 3 servings of green leafy vegetables per week may lower the risk of stomach, breast and skin cancer.

Heart Disease

These same antioxidants have also been proven to decrease the risk of heart disease. To eat “heart healthy” make sure you’re adding leafy greens to your diet!

Obesity

Leafy green vegetables have very few calories, carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol, which are all contributors to unhealthy diets that can lead to obesity.

3. Promote Healthy Gut Bacteria

Studies show leafy greens are essential for maintaining a healthy gut biome. According to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, good bacteria love to feed on a unique sugar molecule found in leafy greens, which means they can multiply and drown out any bad bacteria that may be colonizing your digestive system.

“We need to introduce this [healthy eating] at that age or even younger, but grades 6 to 12 is when I think they can start going to the cafeteria and they can get a salad or a sandwich. These things look so good . . . and the chef there is really happy with our produce . . . if you can see it, it speaks for itself.”

— Virginia Muswagon, Norway House Cree Nation (Case Study , Webinar )

Growing Leafy Greens in Containers

Lush greens growing inside Sheshegwaning First Nation’s Growcer farm.

Growcer container farms can grow a variety of leafy greens regardless of the exterior climate, including lettuces, leafy greens like kales and spinach, herbs, and some cultural crops. Current customers grow leafy green varieties like Wildfire lettuce, arugula, Monte Carlo romaine, spinach, Red Russian kale, Collard greens, Asian greens like Win-Win Choi, mustard greens, mint, parsley, Thai basil, cilantro, mountain sorrel (qungulit), and more.

Here are some of the many benefits of growing leafy greens in a Growcer container farm:

Easier To Maintain

Compared to flowering crops, like tomatoes, leafy greens require less maintenance.

Well-Suited To Hydroponic Growing

You can grow a large variety of leafy green vegetables easily with space-saving hydroponic growing techniques.

Environmental Benefits

Growing locally with Growcer cuts down on food miles, reduces water consumption, and provides a traceable food chain that reduces contamination risks.

Increased Freshness and Nutrition

Did you know that most produce loses 30 percent of nutrients just three days after harvest! When growing leafy greens locally, you are making sure that they are packed full of nutrition, fresh and delicious.

“The beauty of the Rocket Greens and the fact that it’s so fresh, or essentially alive when we deliver it, is that [the greens] keep for a long time...I bought [non-local] broccoli two days ago and it’s yellow already.”

— Carley Basler, Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC) in Northern Manitoba (Case Study , Webinar )

Grow Your Own Leafy Green Vegetables With Growcer

Interested in learning more about our growing leafy greens in containers and our hydroponic growing systems? Watch the hydroponic farming webinar.