Calcium: Collard Greens Have More Than Milk

According to this article from the Harvard School of Public Health, one cup of collard greens contains 357 milligrams of calcium, but a cup of milk has 306. Collard greens also are one of the leafy greens with calcium that is more absorbable. (Some greens like spinach contain oxalic acid which interferes with absorption of calcium).

In addition to calcium, Collard greens contain Vitamin K which plays a role with calcium in keeping bones healthy and strong. Three proteins in bone depend upon Vitamin K to function. Collard greens are a member of the cabbage family. The leafy vegetable has been a regular part of American cooking in the South, aka ‘soul’ food for decades. (They were also popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans). In the South, they are often cooked with black eyed peas. A Collard Greens Festival has been held for several years in East Palo Alto celebrating Southern African-American culture.

In Portugal, soup is made with the greens, potatoes, onions, garlic, salt, savoy cabbage, and pork sausage, although tofu could be substituted for the pork.

Kevin Gianni has a video for Vegetable Wraps with Collard Greens and Tahini Sauce.
Chef Keith Snow provides some video tips for washing and cooking them Southern Style.

The vegetable is usually planted in the early spring. In the South it can also be planted in midsummer and harvested in fall or early winter.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Viki A.

5:54AM PDT on Sep 13, 2012

thank you.

September 13
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Frans B.

4:12AM PDT on Sep 12, 2012

thanks for sharing this...

September 12
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Danuta W.

12:54AM PDT on Sep 12, 2012

Great article, thanks for sharing!

Jennifer C.

5:13PM PDT on Sep 11, 2012

Great article. Thanks.

September 11
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Nina A.

10:21AM PST on Jan 12, 2012

Thank you.

January 12
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Glenn A.

10:07PM PST on Jan 10, 2012

@Thomas T..I agree with care needed with the mambers of the Nightshade family, but as for the Greeks being crippled with arthritis from Moussaka, this is a dish made with HUGE amounts of CREAM/MILK..and as a human calcium source, Cows milk is MOLECULARILY WRONG..it is so large as to be un-absorbable by the human body, so it just gets shoved "out of the way" ..and the only place this can be done in the human body, is the spaces in the joints..thus resulting in arthritis...also, since the body cannot use the calcium from dairy, it needs to get it somewhere, so if another source is not given..(Greens, fruits, etc)..it will naturally "ROB IT" from wherever it can find it...that being the bones..actually CAUSING osteoperosis!!! For starters..read "FIT FOR LIFE" by the Drs Diamond...I read this and a couple others, stopped MY dairy intake, and within 2 months, ALL my arthritis was gone...told my brother, and his went away too!!! All I know for sure, is it worked for us!!!

January 10
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New G.

9:58PM PST on Jan 10, 2012

9:56PM PST on Jan 10, 2012

For those who find some greens too strong/acidic for them, little trick I found out from the Natives here In B.C. while trying Dandelion leaves...wash a bunch of your choice of greens well, then put them in a strainer, then slowly pour a couple cups of boiling water thru them,..you may lose some of the nutrients, but this kicks the snot out of the oxalic acid, and makes them MUCH more palateable...

Megan S.

8:13AM PST on Jan 10, 2012

Oh my goodness! I have fallen IN LOVE with collard over the past few weeks. Kale still is my favorite base for salad, but man, collard is good as wraps and cooked!

My fave wrap for collard:
Blend together some tahini, peanut butter, a clove of garlic, some olive oil, sesame oil, some maple syrup, splash of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, and a chunk of ginger.
Wrap that up with cilantro, lettuce, and brown rice- YUM!!!