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Yesss I always have to have something green with my dinner. And, if I don't eat enough greens during the day I compulsively stick my head in a fridge a grab a handful of whatever green is in there to snack on - cooked or raw.

I feel like I've cheated if there's nothing green.... but that doesn't mean I always fix it

Actually, that plate would look more like the typical Southern fare I ate growing up with corn or mac n cheese instead of the greens, but we were always a starch-happy bunch. The one green thing we'd have were green beans that had been stewed forever with some bacon, so they were sort of a washed-out green.

Greens absolutely! Can't go a day without. I once visited relatives in Ohio. They live on french fries, mac 'n cheez, white bread, etc. After a few days I was ready to eat THEIR FRONT LAWN!!!

Having something green is always the goal, even if I do not always achieve it. Romaine salad, garlic oil spinach or steamed broccoli are my usual go-to greens. But if I am really short on time to shop or cook, it is frozen peas every time.

Always. It doesn't feel right if there at least isn't a side salad or some sort of greenery.

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I always include veggies (and really starchy ones don't count), but not necessarily greens. It might be red peppers or yellow summer squash if it isn't green.

I'm the exact same way, I definitely prefer to have something green! My mom and grandmother kind of drilled this into me growing up... "You've got to have a colorful plate!"

I don't need the color green, per se but I do like some sort of brightly colored vegetable. It helps keep me in 'balance', so to speak.

mmmhmm! Turbodog is a good beer, too!

oh my ... I feel like the bad one in the group. I know I SHOULD eat vegetables and loads of them, however my body would be perfectly happy (and perfectly round ....) subsisting on starch and protein. Getting my greens in is an effort that I do not enjoy. So when I happen to run out of veg to make with my dinner? It's a quiet triumph of not feeling guilty that I didn't eat any!

mmmmm starch and protein

Definitely. It's not a good idea to regularly have plates that are mostly neutral. Plus, colorful veggies just look more energizing than a big lump of mashed potatoes or rice.

Agreed.
I always chop some chives or sprinkle a little parsley over my dish if it doesn't already have green.

Not always. For one, I nearly got banned from the kitchen for insisting something green go in every meal. Or left to eat the entire pot of spinach myself. So now I figure as long as there's some veggies in the other dishes and/or I had tons of veggies earlier in the day, why force it.

For another reason, I have a tendency to eat WAY, WAY too many greens. Days like last Sunday when my lunch consisted of a giant bowl of broccoli and then a salad because that's what was in the house. By dinner, there was no way anything green and fiber-filled was going to sit well.

Green, yes.
Black, no.
The sprinkle of green look appealing.
The black sludge on the right looked unappetizing.

I agree that a pop of fresh color is a must, but it doesn't have to be green. Some red or yellow peppers, or a tomato with freshly ground black pepper, would do just as well.

Onepot
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Yep, I was brought up to always have greens on the plate and its one family thing I always try to keep to. You should definitely have a couple of veggies there for sure.

Yes... I feel weird if there's no greens, or as my squeeze calls them: the mandatory twigs and leaves.

YES! Growing up, my family ate a lot of leafy greens and to this day, I feel a meal (lunch and dinner) is incomplete with leafy greens. My husband, on the hand, makes faces and gag, but oh well...

Spinach, chard, broccoli rabe, broccoli, mustard greens, watercress....

Usually, garlic and oil will do the trick. But i always like to add some chili pepper flakes and a few pieces of ginger.

Growing up, I was always taught that a meal must have a protein (typically meat), a starch, and a vegetable, so I always try to stick to that now. But the vegetable doesn't always have to be green.

Nope, corn or squash would look fine to me there--better than the black blob, as davebarnes said. And I second Emily G., too--I try to stick to the protein/starch/veggie rule too, but why limit yourself to green every meal?

i have to admit, the "greens" in that picture don't look particularly yummy. they've been cooked to within an inch of their life.

add a BRIGHT green salad with butter lettuce, a few radishes and cucumber slices, and then we're talking...

I am a vegetarian so I eat nothing but vegetables and whole grains. I don't always get green in every single meal but I make sure to eat a bit of all colors and seasonal veggies throughout the day.

In Home Ec in high school I was taught to not serve all the same colors. So you wouldn't want all white/beige, red, or green on a plate. Food looks more appetizing when there's plenty of color.

I also grew up with the understanding that every meal should have a green vegetable. Then it was often green beans cooked with a streak of lean. Now it is usually a green salad on the side. I'm looking forward to the weather cooling off so I can do roasted brussel sprouts, which is another favorite. It's been unseasonably warm lately and I haven't wanted to have the oven on that high.

Also, I tried the Easy Turkey Chili with Kale (substituted mustard greens because my grocery was out of kale) last week. Best chili ever.