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Best of Philly Spotlight: How to Sneak More Greens into Your Diet

Best of Philly winners share tips for how to up your plant game — without downing celery juice.


greens

Sneak more greens into your diet with these expert tips.

Eat. Your. Veggies! We asked some of this year’s Best of Philly Health & Self winners for tips on upping your plant game (without downing celery juice).

Prep a pesto

Pestos are great for hiding handfuls of hearty greens like kale and antioxidant-rich herbs like basil and cilantro, says Reap Wellness co-founder Adjua Fisher. Keep a jar of it in your fridge and use as a salad dressing or sandwich spread, or drizzle over steak and roasted potatoes.

Fold them in

Vincent Finazzo, founder and owner of Riverwards Produce, recommends folding delicate greens like spinach or arugula into brothy soups to supercharge your plant intake and dish flavor.

Drink your herbs

Organic herbs can create highly nutritious beverages, say Dope Botanicals co-founders Nakia and Taahirah Stith. Make their Not So Basic green tea by combining 2.5 cups of boiling water and one tablespoon each of stinging nettle, dandelion leaf, moringa and alfalfa. Let the herbs steep before straining and stirring in a sweetener of choice plus one teaspoon of Dope Botanicals’ nutrient-packed Good Green powder. The bev is delicious over ice.

Become a green grillmaster

Finazzo suggests trading toppings like lettuce, tomato and onion for fiber-packed broccoli rabe and char-grilled scallions, which help fight infection naturally and keep your bones strong.

Don’t count out the little guys

Microgreens are full of nutrients and antioxidants and bring flavor to everything you sprinkle them on — so be generous. Fisher is a big fan of immune-boosting, vitamin-rich radish microgreens, which add a “delightful spice to everything from toasts to nori wraps to grain bowls.”

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Published as “Sneaky Greens” in the August 2022 issue of Philadelphia magazine.