Leaf vegetable
Leaf vegetables, also called
potherbs,
greens, or
leafy greens, are plant
leaves eaten as a
vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender
petioles and
shoots. Although they come from a very wide variety of plants, most share a great deal with other leaf vegetables in
nutrition and
cooking methods.
Nearly one thousand species of
plants with edible leaves are known. Leaf vegetables most often come from short-lived
herbaceous plants such as
lettuce and
spinach. Woody plants whose leaves can be eaten as leaf vegetables include
Adansonia,
Aralia,
Moringa,
Morus, and
Toona species.
The leaves of many
fodder crops are also edible by humans, but usually only eaten under
famine conditions. Examples include
alfalfa,
clover, and most
grasses, including
wheat and
barley. These plants are often much more prolific than more traditional leaf vegetables, but exploitation of their rich nutrition is difficult, primarily because of their high fiber content. This obstacle can be overcome by further processing such as drying and grinding into powder or pulping and pressing for juice.
Leaf vegetables are typically low in calories, low in
fat, high in
protein per calorie, high in
dietary fiber, high in
iron and
calcium, and very high in
phytochemicals such as
vitamin C,
vitamin A,
lutein and
folic acid.
Most leaf vegetables can be eaten raw, for example in
salads. They may also be
stir-fried,
stewed or
steamed. Leaf vegetables stewed with
pork are a traditional dish in
soul food, and
southern U.S. cuisine. They are also commonly eaten in a variety of South Asian dishes such as
Saag.
*
List of plants with edible leaves*
Leaf protein concentrate*
Leaf for Life — lists of and information about many leaf vegetables
