National Salad Month

Grab a head of lettuce and a fork – it’s time to celebrate greens! Why is it crucial to munch on green vegetables? Vegetables are important when living a healthy lifestyle. They improve your health in general, and keep your body nice and strong. Green vegetables are full of antioxidants; these are vitamins that help fight illnesses and diseases.

Green vegetables have vitamins like Vitamin A, which helps your eyesight, and Vitamin C, which helps you fight colds. There is calcium in green leafy vegetables like kale to give your bones a boost! There is iron too, which gives you great strength.

These great, vitamin-filled foods have fiber and water, too. This keeps your digestive system in tip-top shape! Do you eat kale, or spinach, or maybe romaine lettuce? Give them a try. Each has its own taste and flavor. Some greens are bitter, and others are sweet.

Broccoli, asparagus, and other green vegetables like collard greens can decorate your plate with healthy goodness. You can steam them with your parent or guardian and get the full flavor. Some people add a little bit of butter, some olive oil, or a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors and make a party in your mouth!

Green vegetables like yummy green beans can grow easily in the garden. Save a seed one day, and pop it into a small pot with dirt. Give it some water, some sun, and a little love. In turn, it will grow into a yummy, healthy treat for you!

Dr. Jeanette Moore is a certified educator in New York, Vermont, Connecticut and South Carolina. She is an established author and frequently contributes to magazines and lesson compilations, including The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Spider Magazine, Highlights for Children, and the lesson guide for the National Fragile X Association. Jeanette has published math games for Nasco, including the P.E.M.D.A.S. Color Code. She also writes math and science books for Nomad Press, as well as workbooks for Carson Dellosa Publishing. Jeanette is a member of the International Dyslexia Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She is the mother of little Maya Jillian.