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Our bodies aren’t adapted to absorb big loads of nutrients all at once (many supplements surpass RDA values by 200 percent or more), but tiny quantities of them in combinations—exactly as they occur in plants. Eating a wide variety of different plant chemicals is a very good idea, according to research from the American Society for Nutritional Sciences. You don’t have to be a chemist, but color vision helps. By eating plant foods in all different colors you’ll get carotenoids to protect body tissues from cancer (yellow, orange, and red veggies); phytosterols to block cholesterol absorption and inhibit tumor growth (green and yellow plants and seeds); and phenols for age-defying antioxidants (blue and purple fruits). Thousands of the phytochemicals we eat haven’t even been studied or named yet, because there are so many, with such varied roles, finely tuned as fuel for our living bodies. A head of broccoli contains more than a thousand.

Multivitamins are obviously a clunky substitute for the countless subtle combinations of phytochemicals and enzymes that whole foods contain. One way to think of these pills might be as emergency medication for lifestyle-induced malnutrition. I’m coming of age in a society where the majority of adults are medically compromised by that particular disease. Not some, but most; that’s a scary reality for a young person. It’s helpful to have some idea how to take preventive action. My friends sometimes laugh at the weird food combinations that get involved in my everyday quest to squeeze more veggies into a meal, while I’m rushing to class. (Peanut butter and spinach sandwiches?) But we all are interested in staying healthy, however we can.

Leafy greens, like all plants, advertise their nutritional value through color: dark green or red leaves with a zesty tang bring more antioxidants to your table. But most any of them will give you folic acid ( folic equals “foliage”), a crucial nutrient for pregnant women that’s also needed by everyone for producing hemoglobin. From Popeye to Thumper the rabbit, the message that “you have to finish your greens” runs deep in kid culture, for good reason. Parents won’t have to work so hard at bribing their kids with desserts if they don’t serve slimy greens. When fresh and not overcooked, spinach, chard, kale, bok choy, and other greens are some of my favorite things.

Here are some recipes that bring out the best in dark, leafy greens. These are staple meals for our family in the season when greens are coming up in our garden by the bushel.

EGGS IN A NEST

(This recipe makes dinner for a family of four, but can easily be cut in half.)

2 cups uncooked brown rice

Cook rice with 4 cups water in a covered pot while other ingredients are being prepared.

Olive oil—a few tablespoons

1 medium onion, chopped, and garlic to taste

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a wide skillet until lightly golden.

Carrots, chopped

½ cup dried tomatoes

Add and sauté for a few more minutes, adding just enough water to rehydrate the tomatoes.

1 really large bunch of chard, coarsely chopped

Mix with other vegetables and cover pan for a few minutes. Uncover, stir well, then use the back of a spoon to make depressions in the cooked leaves, circling the pan like numbers on a clock.

8 eggs

Break an egg into each depression, being careful to keep yolks whole. Cover pan again and allow eggs to poach for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

SPINACH LASAGNA

1 pound whole-grain lasagna noodles Prepare according to package directions.

4 cups chopped spinach Steam for 2–3 minutes, let excess water drain.

16 ounces tomato sauce

2 cups fresh ricotta

2 cups mozzarella

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a large casserole. Cover surface with a layer of noodles, ½ of the ricotta, ½ of the spinach, ? of the remaining sauce, and ? of the mozzarella. Lay down another layer of noodles, the rest of the ricotta, the rest of the spinach, ? of the sauce, and ? of the mozzarella. Spread a final layer of