The Mighty Leaf

Youve heard about the superfood powers of chia and blueberries but, lurking in the vegetable aisle of the supermarket and a staple of the common vegie patch, the humble leafy green remains a less applauded superfood. So lets turn over a new leaf to discover what benefits lie beneath.

- Linda Moon

Consumed by humans throughout history and maligned by salad-haters as “rabbit food”, leafy greens include some of the easiest-to-grow, most nutrient-dense yet inexpensive health foods on the planet. Consisting of the edible leaves of plants, these inauspicious wonder foods may also include the shoots (as in sprouts and micro-greens) and stalks (as in celery) of plants.

Botanical diversity

Broadly speaking, leafy greens cover a diverse range of species, including cruciferous vegetables like kale, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and cabbage, as well as lettuces, the leaves of the beet family and herbs such as fennel, fenugreek and coriander. Less known edible leafy greens include wild greens such as chickweed, purslane and dandelion, the tops of vegetables, the leaves of some flowers and root vegetables, water plants such as sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) and those specific to other cultures — komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), lingaru (fiddlehead fern) and amaranth are just a few examples. Not all “greens” are actually green but may be purple, red or multi-coloured.

According to founder of Food Plants International, Bruce French, there are about 8000 plants with edible leaves across the planet. These include indigenous species, the obscure and neglected and the well known. French, a former agriculturist from Tasmania, has collated the biggest database of edible food plants in the world. He says we should do more to value and eat leaves, especially those native to our own country.

Up & coming supergreens