What healthier way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than eating green food? Not only is it festive in color, but health experts agree that green foods are a gold mine of nutrients.  Phytochemicals or phytonutrients  are what gives plant foods their natural, vibrant colors which help to protect the plant from disease and when we eat these plants they help protect us, too.  Antioxidants and phytonutrients may provide protection against cancer and heart disease. Green foods are also a great source of , vitamins A & K, which helps protect against osteoporosis.  They are a rich source of  folic acid, magnesium,  and lutein, which promotes  vision health and can protect against macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. It’s important to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, especially green foods, like kiwi, broccoli, avocados, spinach and kale.