Improve your health by eating more vegetables. Besides being rich in necessary nutrients, vegetable fibre is a major contributor to the “good bacteria” in your gut. And a healthy balance of intestinal microbiota is vital for good health. Studies find poor gut health is linked with almost every disease and disorder humans suffer.
But what if you hate veggies? Step out of your comfort zone. Each week, introduce one you’ve never tried before. How about jicama? Perhaps celeriac? There are thousands of vegetables; many you’ve never tried or even heard of. For those you tried and disliked, experiment with them again. Eat them cooked, if they didn’t appeal to you raw – or vice versa. Season with herbs and spices or eat with healthy, homemade sauces and dips.
Here are a few ideas to add more vegetables to your diet and enhance their taste:
Make your salad less boring; add carrots slices, strawberries, water chestnuts, kiwi, orange slices, sliced grapes, sweet peas, avocado, nuts and seeds, beet slices. Use your imagination: How about (pesticide-free) rose petals from your garden? There are no rules for a tasty salad!
Instead of lettuce in your salad, use kale, Swiss chard, endive, spinach, or a combination. Add shredded cabbage, too. Try another type of lettuce you haven’t had yet.
Add a mix of vegetables to rice or other cooked whole grains like quinoa. Try chopped spinach, carrots, onions, peas, beans or tomatoes.
Grill “kabobs” in the oven or the outdoor grill: Skewer various veggies like mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, carrots, peppers, squash, potatoes or sweet potatoes. Brush lightly with oil to keep them moist.
Use long shreds of zucchini or carrots, or cook spaghetti squash as the “pasta” for your spaghetti sauce (vegetable spiral “shredders” are available at many stores).
Stir-fry your veggies, like broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, mushrooms or green beans. It’s a fast and easy way to add veggies to any meal or as a meal themselves.
Cut up various vegetables, toss them in a sealed bag with a little oil, then roast them in the oven for 20 minutes. Use zucchini, chayote squash and other squashes, carrots, fennel, celeriac, jicama, all varieties of potatoes and other root vegetables.
Liven up your omelet by whipping chopped fresh or sautéed veggies in with the eggs. Try mushrooms, sprouts, spinach, onions, shredded carrots or zucchini, avocado, leeks, green onions or bell peppers.
Stock up on frozen vegetables for quick and easy cooking in the microwave or stovetop.
Cut up fresh vegetables to keep handy in the refrigerator for snacks or meals.
When having canned soups, add more veggies! Fresh or frozen, pile in your favourites. Homemade soups, of course, are a better choice than canned soups. Make a large batch and freeze in small containers for future convenience.
Bon Appetit!
Eve Lees is a certified Nutrition Coach, a Health Writer and Speaker, and a former Personal Trainer with over 30 years experience in the health/fitness industry. www.artnews-healthnews.com
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Eve Lees has been active in the health & fitness industry since 1979. Currently, she is a Freelance Health Writer for several publication and speaks to business and private groups on various health topics.