The month of September is observed as nutrition month which is celebrated to create awareness about nutrition and healthy eating habits. Generally, people believe most of the nutrition comes from pulses and other food grains but healthy green leaves can also bring colour, variety, and a good amount of nutritional value to our meal.
Nutritional leaves are not only beneficial but adds more power to your side when these leaves are easily available at your home. What about easily homegrown edible nutritious leaves? Here are the best five nutritious leaves which can be grown in home:
Basil Leaves
Basil with its strong flavour have a great healing quality and medicinal powers. They are one of the oldest known herbs to mankind. It has tons of benefits such as being good for digestion, supports liver function, manages diabetes, and provides healthy shiny skin.
Basil leaves are also known as Tulsi in Hindi. This amazing herb can be added to tea, one can also consume it raw with warm water, in smoothies, juices, and salads.
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Curry Leaves
Who doesn’t enjoy a tadka of curry leaves in Indian food?! Curry leaves are a rich source of vitamin A, B, C, and B2. They also help in maintaining healthy eyesight, lowers cholesterol, supports digestion, and eradicates bad bacteria.
You can easily cultivate this leaf at your home. Add curry or curry powder in dishes and this will add magic to your food. Flavour your oil with curry leaves, dry them, turn them into powder and sprinkle it over your delicious dishes. You can also use it while giving tadka to your dal and sabji.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass helps in improving swelling, prevents the growth of bacteria and fungal infection. You can use it to flavour your herbal tea and other beverages. Lemongrass is a sun-loving plant that can be grown in south-facing windows.
Coriander
Coriander is also known as hara dhaniya. Indian dishes are incomplete without them. Sprinkled green leaves not only enhance flavour of your food but also benefit your health. It is full of vitamin K, which helps in lowering blood sugar level, supports the immune system and promotes skin health.
You can enjoy chutney made of coriander with bread, garnish your desi food item with it and add colours to your dish. Parsi people have specially prepared tea with pudina.
Giloy
These heart-shaped leaves are most preferred especially after the time of pandemic as it boosts our immune system. It is also consumed if someone is suffering from dengue because it helps in increasing white blood cells. People troubled with diabetes can also refer to the juice made from giloy. Giloy is actively used to improve respiratory health.
You can prefer powder or capsule form of giloy or even raw leaves, which will be bitter in taste.
Mint
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Mint, also known as pudina, is one of the most used herbs by Indian households. Mint in summers can be utterly refreshing. You can add it to lemonades and tea for a pleasant flavour. Mint is most known for improving indigestion and also decreases breastfeeding pain.
