Part three of a three part series on making the veggie taste transition. Read part one here and part two here. Then listen to the Foodie-Phile podcast at the bottom of this post.
Make the Veggie Taste Transition
We all want to eat better and help our families to avoid being overweight.
Even if you’re having a hard time getting family members to exercise, you can often help them get on the right track by scooting in more veggies and fruits into their everyday meals.
Fast-Track Veggie-to-Plate Tips
While following a recipe can give you a terrific result, raw fruits and veggies added on the dinner plate is easiest. A simple dark-leafy-green salad side with dressing is also an simple starting approach.
Libby Anderson from Anderson Griggs Investments in South Carolina says “Pasta dishes are good because you can add in veggies and switch to whole wheat pasta, and it makes the dish a little healthier while still being a familiar dish to those resistant to change. I cut up carrots, broccoli, zucchini, etc. into smaller pieces and add those in.”
Toni Sicola of San Francisco works with groups of employees on their wellness goals and suggests when making mashed potatoes to add in some cauliflower and “mash that right in. And over the course of a few meals reduce the potatoes and add more cauliflower.” She also says to make vegetables the featured item on the plate, with the meat as “more of a garnish than the main attraction.”
Yoga Instructor and Holistic Health Coach Sapha Arias says “Get creative. Try a few new veggies every week and experiment with ways to cook them. Go to your local farmer’s market and talk to the farmers about ways to cook the veggie and recipe ideas. Sometimes they have the most delicious ideas you can imagine.” She also suggests using Pinterest as visual inspiration to get you started.
Planning Ahead Makes It Fast
If you spend 15-20 minutes on a weekend to plan out your main entrees for the week, shopping becomes easier as well as your meal preparation.
If you know that you’ll be low on time, pick recipes and combinations that are quick on the food prep. This helps you to stick to your declaration of eating more fruits and veggies. Making bigger batches of entrees also means you’ll have leftovers, which can be brought to the office the next day. You can even put warmed leftovers in insulated metal Thermos containers for your children’s lunches.
Healthy Recipes to Try
Here are some kale recipes from Robyn Youkilis, a board-certified Wellness Expert and host of “Veria Living Live” —
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