Q: I keep reading that we are supposed to eat more leafy dark-green vegetables. Are they really that good for you?

A: Many of the leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins A and C and contribute calcium, iron, fiber and other nutrients. The National Cancer Institute reports that foods rich in vitamins A and C have been associated with the reduced risk of certain cancers.

Also, greens are very low in calories and sodium. For instance, one cup of chopped raw spinach has just 14 calories. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked collards has just 38 calories. All greens are free of fat and cholesterol.

Q: What’s the best way to prepare leafy greens?

A: First, let’s talk about the selection and storage of leafy greens. When selecting greens for cooking, remember they cook down considerably – from one-quarter or more – from their original volume. So purchase accordingly, i.e., 1 pound raw kale yields about 2 1/2 cups cooked kale; 1 pound mustard greens yields 1 1/2 cups cooked greens. To store greens, wrap them in damp paper toweling, then place in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate. If the greens are purchased in good condition and if the paper toweling is kept moist, most varieties will keep one week.

Wash the greens thoroughly. Place them in a sink filled with lukewarm water and swish around (lukewarm water helps to remove the grit faster than cool water). Remove any roots, stem the greens if necessary, and repeat the washing process until the grit disappears. For salad greens, whirl in a salad spinner or pat dry in paper toweling.

Mild-flavored greens like spinach, kale or chard can be steamed until barely tender. Stronger-flavored greens like collards, mustard or turnip greens benefit from longer cooking in a seasoned broth. They should also be blanched before added to soups and stews, otherwise a bitter flavor will predominate.

Challenge yourself to begin trying a different type of greens each week. Some of the greens that I’m listing below are traditionally served raw in salads, but are also tasty when cooked. Likewise, many greens which are often cooked, can be tossed raw into salads.

Experiment with the leafy goodness of these special greens. Arugula or Rocket Salad: A tender, mustard-flavored green with a bitter flavor is a favorite in many European countries. Arugula resembles radish leaves in both appearance and taste. Arugula is sold in small bunches which should be fresh and bright green. To store, wrap the roots in damp toweling and place the bunch in plastic. Refrigerate and use within a day or two.

Beet Greens: Look for crisp, green or reddish green leaves. They can be steamed or sauteed.

Belgian Endive: Also called witloof, is a member of the chicory family. Look for tightly furled heads of creamy white color. The leaves should be pale yellow at the tips and the center of the stem should give slightly. Its snappy taste is perfect for salads. Belgian endive can also be steamed, braised, sauteed or baked. Store in a paper bag and refrigerate in the vegetable drawer.

Collards: Wide-leafed greens with a cabbage-like flavor, are traditionally cooked slowly for several hours to yield very tender eating. But they can also be simmered in a seasoned broth for 20 to 30 minutes. Season collards with garlic, onion, chili peppers, ginger or curry. Try them topped with a cheese, curry or cream sauce.

Curly Endive: This relative of the chicory family has a bunchy head with frilly leaves and is popular as a salad ingredient. The pale leaves from the center are mild, while the outer green leaves are slightly bitter. Use promptly.

Dandelion Greens: Cultivated dandelion is similar in texture and flavor to curly endive with a tangy taste. Select fresh greens with thin stems. The small pale leaves can be used alone in salads; larger greens can be combined with other salad greens or cooked. Do not overcook, for long cooking doesn’t improve the flavor.

Escarole: Sometimes marketed as Batavian endive, this popular salad ingredient is a broad-leafed cousin of curly endive. Use promptly.

Flowering Cole (or Flowering kale, Salad Savoy): Attractive ruffly edged leaves of cream, violet and pink make attractive garnishes and salad ingredients. It can also be cooked, with a taste similar to mild cabbage.

Kale: Its ruffly leaves are greenish-blue to green with a mild cabbage flavor. Kale is as versatile as both spinach and cabbage. Try it steamed or blanched, then sauteed, cooked just until crisp tender. Add to soups, or combine with cheese for main dish pies or turnovers.

Very tender, young leaves can be added to salads. Use within a few days, for kale develops a stronger and more pronounced bitter flavor when stored too long.

Lettuce: Iceberg, romaine, leaf and Butterhead (Boston and Bibb) varieties – each have their distinctive qualities in texture and taste. Create exciting salads with a combination of crisp and smooth varieties – the darker green, the better.

Mache (also called corn salad or lambs lettuce): A tender, velvety green with either a mild or sweet, nutty flavor. The leaves can be broad or narrow in shape, dark or medium green in color, round or spoon-shaped. Mache is very perishable, so use immediately.

Mustard Greens: These oval-shaped leaves with frilled or scalloped edges have a sharp, nippy taste. Young, tender leaves can be added to salads, providing a radishy bite along with its attractive appearance. They benefit from slow cooking which creates a mellow flavor; or blanch them and add to soups; creamy purees or sautes.

Select small leaves for salads; any size for cooking since tenderness doesn’t depend on size when cooked.

Rapini (or Broccoli de Rabe, Rapa or rape): A medium-sharp flavored green with edible stems and small bud cluster.

Spinach: Whether crinkly or flat, select fresh-looking green leaves. To prepare for eating raw or cooked, first wash the leaves well; then remove the stems. Fold each leaf lengthwise along the stem with its underside facing you and pull the stem down as close to the leaf tip as possible.

Spinach can be quickly cooked in just the water that clings to its leaves after rinsing. Cover and cook only a few minutes until wilted – do not overcook. Garnish buttered, cooked spinach with freshly grated cheese, toasted almonds or deviled eggs. Or add raw spinach to salads with sliced fresh mushrooms, crumbled egg and crisp bacon dressed with a mustard vinaigrette.

Here’s a recipe that Connie Detweiler, nutrition program assistant with K-State Research and Extension in Douglas County, shared with me that is enjoyed by her family:

Sauteed spinach

1 bag fresh baby spinach

Nonstick vegetable spray

Liquid fajita seasoning

Note: Liquid smoke (diluted in half with water) can be substituted for the liquid fajita seasoning.

Swiss Chard: A delicate tasting vegetable with stalk-like stems and broad crisp leaves. The ribs can be either red or white, cooked like celery or asparagus. The flavor of either variety is the same – similar to beets, since chard is a relative of the beet family. The leaves can be used raw in salads or cooked as other greens.

Turnip Greens: A sharp-flavored green which is traditionally cooked in a broth, flavored with a piece of salt pork or smoked ham hock for 30 to 60 minutes.

For more information and ideas on using leafy greens, go to: www.leafy-greens.org.