Dark Leafy Greens Vegetables List

There are plenty of dark leafy greens out there that provide all sorts of benefits to your health. Many of them are major parts of low carb diets, such as the Keto diet.

So what is the best list of dark leafy green vegetables you could try?

A list of dark leafy greens includes kale, arugula, and spinach. Collard greens, swiss chard leaves, and cabbage are also popular choices of greens.

Lesser known options are bibb lettuce, beet greens, dandelion greens, rapini, mustard greens, turnip greens, watercress, romaine lettuce, and endive.

Let’s take a closer look at the different dark leafy green vegetables.

List of All Leafy Greens

The list of all leafy greens is long and full of vital vitamins and minerals that will improve your health. Some of these greens are purported to reduce your risk of severe diseases.

While it can’t cure cancer, many leafy greens have been thought to improve cancer cells.

Check out all of the great leafy greens available for you to try.

Kale

Kale is one of the most popular dark leafy greens out there. Its popularity comes from the thought that kale’s the most nutritious leafy green.

This vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals that we need. Kale is also a favorite to use in smoothies, dinners, and lunches. It holds up well when cooked and is available almost all year round.

Kale is great for those with diabetes. A single cup of kale only has about 7 carbs and 33 calories.

As mentioned above, Kale is full of vitamins, and you can find the list of those vitamins below.

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Copper
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Manganese

Collard Greens

Collard greens are beneficial for bone health as well as reducing your risks of cancer.

It’s not a cure for cancer, but it’s been found that eating this type of leafy green could reduce your risk of developing some cancer types, including breast cancer.

Collard greens are also great for those suffering from diabetes or liver diseases.

Collard greens have a high fiber level, which helps with digestion.

You won’t have to worry about your bowels when eating a healthy amount of collard greens.

Arugula

Arugula is jam-packed with vitamins and is considered one of the more nutrient-dense leafy greens out there. Arugula doesn’t have high levels of carbs, fat, or sugar, which keep the calories in this vegetable low.

Arugula is full of vitamins A, C, and K. These vitamins work to improve various areas of your body.

Vitamin A and C work as antioxidants, while vitamin K is a blood coagulant. Because of this, you’ll want to talk to your doctor about any increases in vitamin K, especially if you suffer from a blood condition that requires blood thinners to treat.

Arugula also has plenty of potassium, calcium, and folate. These only add to the great benefits that arugula can offer your immune system.

Spinach

Spinach is full of excellent fiber and very little sugars. This makes it an ideal leafy green for your digestive system and your bowels. As with other leafy greens on this list, spinach is full of excellent vitamins for your body. However, spinach is a great source of folic acid and iron. Folic acid is an important mineral for pregnant women.

Cabbage

One cup of cabbage is going to have only 22 calories in it. It’s packed full of the same vitamins you’d find in kale or spinach. It also has plenty of folate, manganese, potassium, and calcium. Cabbage has higher levels of vitamin C, making it an antioxidant for the toxins in your body. It’s believed that cabbage can help reduce inflammation because of the level of antioxidants it has.

Swiss Chard Leaves

Swiss chard is a popular vegetable choice by many for its colorful rainbow stalks and the health benefits they hold. However, their leaves are equally as beneficial. In fact, swiss chard leaves are a great source of zinc, magnesium, and copper. Swiss chard leaves are powerful antioxidants that can help combat cancer cells in the body.

Bibb Lettuce

Bibb lettuce is a salad green that’s full of vitamins and minerals your body needs. Bibb lettuce is grown using hydroponics.

This means it has plenty of water in it. This also means it’s going to be lower in carbs than other lettuce types. The carbs that are found in bibb lettuce are mostly made up of fiber.

The fiber content isn’t as high as other leafy greens, but it’ll still benefit your digestive system.

Beet Greens

Beet greens are pretty similar to swiss chard. Beet greens are great for your immune system. It’s full of vitamins like vitamin A and K.

They have a high level of beta-carotene and carotenoids lutein. These minerals help maintain eye health. Beet greens are also beneficial to those with diabetes and heart diseases. As an excellent source of potassium, beet greens help improve your nervous system and your muscles.

Dandelion Greens

There’s a large amount of iron, magnesium, and calcium found in dandelion greens. These greens are also great anti-inflammatories.

Dandelion greens may help lower sugar levels, making it a good option for those with diabetes. There are also possibilities that they can help reduce your cholesterol as well.

Rapini

Rapini is another leafy green that is rich in vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The best vitamins this veggie is packed with are the vitamins A, C, and K. The nutrients in this leafy green have been thought to help bone health, immunity, and lower blood pressure. It also contains high levels of iron, potassium, and calcium.

Mustard Greens

Mustard greens are another well known leafy green that is full of wonderful vitamins and minerals.

Most notably, mustard greens are heavy in vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K. Copper is another mineral that you can find in this leafy green type. Also, just one cup of mustard greens is only 15 calories.

Turnip Greens

Turnip greens are a leafy green veggie that may not be as common as some might think. There are plenty of vitamins like other leafy greens that will help improve your immunity and other areas of your body. Turnip greens are a great source of iron as well. Turnip greens have been believed to help diabetes, heart disease, and digestion.

Watercress

Watercress isn’t as well known among the leafy greens, but it actually has many great benefits for your health. It’s packed with vitamin K, which is great for bone health and proper blood clotting. It’s a great antioxidant and may help reduce heart disease symptoms.

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce is a popular salad ingredient that you might not realize has tons of vitamins in it.

It’s full of vitamins A, C, and K, and you can find plenty of helpful minerals such as calcium, folate, and potassium. It doesn’t have many calories and is easy to introduce into your diet.

Endive

Endive is a leafy green that is low in calories but high in vitamins. It’s helpful when trying to lose weight and can help your digestive system maintain regular bowel movements. It can also be used as a salad to detox the body and get your system back on track.

Keto Leafy Greens List

The list of leafy greens is long, but some work especially well when following the Keto diet.

When looking for veggies to eat on the Keto diet, it’s standard to avoid vegetables that grow under the ground, like potatoes, for example.

• Broccoli Leaves
• Kale
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard Leaves
• Romaine Lettuce
• Arugula
• Collard Greens
• Cabbage
• Bok Choy

If you’re looking for the very best leafy green veggies to add to your diet, you have a decent list to choose from.

They each are packed full of nutrients your body needs and will benefit your overall health in the long run.

The list below is full of the healthiest leafy greens that would be beneficial to incorporate into your diet.

• Arugula
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Spinach
• Collard Greens
• Turnip Greens
• Mustard Greens
• Bok Choy
• Watercress

Leafy Greens vs. Broccoli

There are major health benefits for both leafy greens and broccoli. Broccoli is full of many of the same vitamins and minerals that you’d find in leafy greens.

Much of the debate between the two comes from the kale or spinach vs. broccoli debate.

They all have different benefits, but almost all of the same vitamins and minerals are found in both leafy greens and broccoli.

The health benefits backed by medical research are as follows

Even with all of these health benefits, it’s always important to talk to your doctor before making any dramatic changes to your diet.

If eaten in large amounts, some of these vegetables can cause more problems than help. Consulting your doctor will help reduce any risks.

Summary

Leafy greens are wonderful foods to incorporate into your diets because of the massive health benefits they have to offer.

There are so many vitamins and minerals they hold, which is why they are named superfoods.

Hopefully, this article has given you a closer look at the dark leafy greens vegetables available to you.