Nutrition

They are a great source of vitamin K to meet your Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) supporting blood clotting and an essential role in bone health.

Shopping Guide

Top tip: try to buy your spring greens as whole heads as you will usually pay more to buy them ready chopped. Try and go for vibrant green leaves avoiding those that are slimy or wilting but don’t overlook any in the reduced section of your supermarket. Often found here the bulbs can be saved and cut off to regrow your new ones at home.

Storage

To store, they’ll keep on the counter for a couple of days, but up to 2 weeks if sealed in an airtight bag or container in the fridge.

Preparation

Spring greens are tough and bitter, so they are best when cooked. Strip the leaves from the tough stems and slice or tear them, discarding the stems. Cook them low and slow for best results – adding to sauces and stews, or braising in butter and stock. Adding to creamy dishes like mac ‘n’ cheese, gratin, cauliflower cheese or creamed ‘spinach’ can be an easy win as the sweetness softens spring greens’ bitterness. It’s also delicious in place of spinach when mixed with feta, eggs, a little lemon juice and herbs and wrapped in filo pastry before baking for a spring greens ‘spanakopita’ (Greek feta and spinach pie).

Kids in the Kitchen

For a younger child, why not get them to wash the spring greens by separating out the leaves and giving them a good wash and dry. If they want to do more, can they help pull the leaves off the stems and tear into small pieces ready for you to pop in a stew, or simmer for a few mins, drain and serve dressed with some olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to practise some essential knife skills using the claw grip to roughly chop the leaves.

Find more ideas for involving kids in the kitchen here.

Sensory

Try exploring spring greens through your senses. What does it look like? How does it feel? What colours can you see? Does it remind you of anything? Does it have a smell? Try biting through the leaves and stems separately, or snapping them by your ear if not up to trying them, and see if the leaves or stems sound crunchier.

Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!

Serving

Next time you make a meal that includes spring greens, why not ask your child to help you with one small step in the preparation of the greens (maybe washing or separating the leaves from the stems), then see if they want to help you serve it as “their” meal. Perhaps they could help lay the table and even create a fun centrepiece, maybe with all green objects to reflect the spring greens’ colour?

Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.

Activities

Why not try making an edible jungle or forest scene using spring greens for trees and other veg for details on a plate or tray? Or try drawing a close up spring green leaf by observing it under a magnifying glass to get the veins, lines and leaves just right!

Kids more interested in science? Explore spring greens by investigating the leaves, veins, stems and colours of them with a magnifying glass. How are they different to leaves on trees? How are they similar? What is the texture like? The colour? Does it remind you of anything?

You can find more at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.

Find loads more free veg-themed crafts here and games here.