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Green foods can really help with your slim-down goals. Here are some easy ways to get your daily greens as you supercharge your diet.

  1. The Green Smoothie

Green smoothies are no longer a foreign concept, but there are ways to make them taste great so you’re not choking them down. Some greens, like kale, can be especially bitter, making the whole smoothie hard to swallow — literally. You can make a green smoothie taste better by

  • adding frozen bananas. Bananas add sweetness and the creamy texture helps to make the smoothie more enjoyable.
  • using lemon essential oil. The burst of lemon flavor helps to offset the bitter flavor of your greens.
  • blending your greens first. Greens can turn a smoothie in a textural turn-off in your mouth. Blend your greens and liquid for a minute before adding frozen fruit or Greek yogurt, and you’ll get a smoother final product.
  1. The Pasta Substitute

Instead of indulging in white pasta, try making “noodles” from the favorite universal squash: zucchini. Using a julienne peeler, cut your zucchini into long strands, just like spaghetti. Microwave the noodles for a few minutes to cook, and eat them with a tomato sauce, some ground turkey and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for flavor.

  1. The Surprise Salad

One of the rules of increasing your green veggie intake is to make the salad a star in your meal. You’ll need to get creative and start seeing salad where you didn’t expect. For example, take your chicken Alfredo, and serve it on a bed of spinach leaves instead of directly on the plate. You’ll eat less pasta (less calories) and more greens while still enjoying the flavor.