Forget Bananas: This Underrated Veggie Is A Potassium Powerhouse
If you're trying to get more potassium in your life, you undoubtedly checked out our list of fruits with more potassium than a banana. Loading potassium, however, doesn't mean you need to stick to just fruit! Come to find out, there's a veggie hiding in plain sight that absolutely wipes the floor with bananas when it comes to hitting your daily potassium goals. They're also technically attached to another veggie, so maybe you didn't notice, but beet greens are loaded with potassium, along with other wholesome nutrients and vitamins. Best of all, they taste great!
According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, one cup of boiled, drained beet greens contains a whopping 1308.96 milligrams of potassium. If you haven't recently looked up how much potassium is in a medium banana, that's about 451 milligrams (with some variation based on actual size). For those bad at math, that means that beet greens are beating out bananas with nearly triple the potassium!
As a yummy bonus, beet greens are also rich in vitamins A, C, and K, along with fiber, folate, and magnesium. Beet greens compare favorably with other common greens like spinach and kale. They're sweeter and more tender than kale, but more robust than spinach. If you already like beets, beet greens are a delicious and nutritious bonus that you might have been chucking in the trash. If you haven't explored buying whole beets (that is, with the greens still attached), check out your local farmer's market and then hit the kitchen!
Here's what to know about cooking beet greens
Beet greens, which consist of the stems and leaves of the beet plant, can be cooked much like you already enjoy other greens, whether you prefer collards, kale, or mustard greens. They need to be washed well, since they are rarely cleaned before sale, and you might want to separate the leaves from the stems for even cooking, though both are edible. These greens are delicious when simply cooked down in some olive oil for a few minutes, then adorned with nothing more than salt, pepper, and garlic, but you can easily dress them up with additional seasonings and ingredients, too. They braise beautifully as well. Throw a handful into a soup a few minutes before serving, and you'll enjoy a bright green, flavorful punch of fiber and vitamins (not to mention that precious potassium!) in a bowl. But you needn't cook the leaves to enjoy them — try them chopped up finely in a salad, and you'll quickly pivot away from chard and other heartier salad greens!
One word of warning: if you suffer from kidney stones, consider skipping the beet green salad. Beet greens are high in oxalates, which can promote the development of stones. One way to lessen this effect is to boil or blanch the greens before eating them, but some social media users report that there isn't really a "safe" amount of beet greens if you're really plagued with kidney stones. As always, talk to a medical professional first if this is a potential concern.