Eat green on St. Patrick’s Day

Below are some naturally green foods that include lots of healthy minerals and vitamins.

KALE

Garnett said Kale is a good source of lots of vitamins and minerals which is why the green leafy vegetable has become so popular in recent years.

Ways to use: Garnett said speaking of St. Paddy’s Day, there’s a dish called colcannon that incorporates kale. Mashed potatoes are cooked with kale, leeks and cabbage.

“I actually make a colcannon soup that uses a lot of kale, cabbage and all these green veggies with the potatoes. It’s so yummy.”

Nutrition Facts: One ounce of kale has 14 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol, 11 milligrams of sodium, 139 milligrams of potassium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 1 gram of protein. Kale also has Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, manganese, calcium, copper and magnesium.

PISTACHIOS

Garnett said nuts have good healthy fats in them and have a good amount of protein. Ways to use them: Garnett said she puts pistachios in pasta. You can crush them up and put them in a sauce, she said. You can make pistachio cookies, you can put them in yogurt or on salads.

Nutrition facts: A half cup of pistachios with shells have 170 calories, 14 grams of fat (7 grams of that fat is monounsaturated, the healthy fat), 0 grams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 190 milligrams of potassium, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar and 7 grams of protein.

GRANNY SMITH APPLE

Garnett said apples have lots of fiber in them especially if you eat the skin. Apples are one of the most popular fruits in the world. The apple tree originated in Central Asia but

are now grown all over the world.

Ways to use them: Garnett said apples can be baked or diced up and put into a salad. Apples also pair well with pork so you can add apples, sweet potatoes and pork in a crock pot then cook it all together. You can also sauté apples and that’s basically how you start to make applesauce.

Nutrition facts: One apple has 80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol, 0 grams of sodium, 0 grams of potassium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 17 grams of sugar and 0 grams of protein.

AVOCADOS

Moses said avocados are high in fat but it’s the good kind of fat. They don’t have a lot of saturated fats, trans fat or cholesterol which are things that increase your risk of heart disease or cardiovascular disease. The fatty fruit has a smooth and creamy texture.

Ways to use them: Garnett said one of her favorite ways to use them is to put them in her smoothie. The fruit can also be used to make avocado ice cream or pudding. Avocados are commonly used to make guacamole and can be used as a spread on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise. Nutrition facts: One medium avocado has 234 calories, 21 grams of fat (14 grams of that fat is monounsaturated, the healthy fat), 0 grams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 708 milligrams of potassium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of protein.

PHOTOS BY MICHILEA PATTERSON — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA A variety of green fruits and vegetables are on display. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by eating healthy green foods, many of which are “superfoods” that contain lots of nutrients.

A small bowl of pistachios are on display. Once you open up the shell, the actual pistachio is green.