Sautéed Collard Greens and Apples

“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” those words by Michael Pollan have become a common ground of sorts for people in the real food community and those in the mainstream nutrition field. We may not all agree on the role of fat, we may not see eye to eye on issues surrounding grains, corn, soy, or sugar but we can almost all agree on these these three principles… theoretically.

I am good at eating food, real food that is actually food. I know the ingredients going into my body, they were all grown in some form or another without the help of a chemistry lab. I am usually pretty good about not eating too much, except for the occasional bad day where I go to whole foods and buy a box of plantain chips and a bag of over priced chocolate (successful reintroduction) coconut macaroons and eat my feelings. The last rule, mostly plants, has been a bit harder for me though. I mean what does MOSTLY plants really have to mean? I eat a sweet potato in the morning, a few green beans at lunch and some broccoli with dinner, that’s enough right? Never mind the bacon, chicken, and steak those veggies are paired with… its paleo right? Well yes, it is and don’t get me wrong I have done just fine on bacon and sweet potatoes but recently I was listening to a podcast by a couple of other paleo experts where they were discussing their fiber intake and this led me to research how much fiber I was consuming on a daily basis. My intake wasn’t drastically low, but I decided I definitely needed to amp it up and add some variety for the sake of better digestion and nutrition.

The recommended amount of fiber for a woman is 25g and while there have been studies that have shown that a diet that is too high in fiber can actually negatively effect nutrient absorption and gut function and healthy amount of fiber coming solely from whole foods, primarily fruits and vegetables, and not from supplements is a necessary part of our diet (1).

Greens are a great source of fiber as well as a lot necessary vitamins. In fact, researchers have discovered that there is a specific gene that allows immune cells to be produced in your gut that is only triggered through the consumption of greens (2)

All of that being said, I have decided to mix it up and add some collard greens into my regular routine and this recipe has made it easy and delicious. Fresh or frozen greens will work and they cook up so fast that they will save you lots of time in the kitchen.

What are your favorite and least favorite vegetables? Tell me in the comments!

Sautéed Collard Greens and Apples :

(Serves 2-4)

Ingredients: 

1 small onion

1 Apple

2 cloves of garlic

2 TBS of Bacon Fat or Solid Animal Fat

2-3 Cups of Chopped Collard Greens

2 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Tsp of Sea Salt

Directions: 

In a food processor combine your onion, garlic and apple and chop. In a large pan sauté your apple and onion mixture in your bacon fat until the onions start to turn translucent. Add in your collards, cover and cook for about two minutes. Add in your vinegar and salt and stir. Cook for another minute or two. Enjoy as a side dish or combine with meat for a delicious stir fry.

Note: If you want, cook 4-6 pieces of bacon and crumble over the top.