Last blog post, we focused on fruit and some fun ways we can incorporate more fruit in your family’s diet. This post will focus on vegetables.
We know many children (and many adults too) who do not like vegetables, and if they don’t like them, they don’t eat them, so here are a few ways to add a variety of healthy veggies to your diet.
1. Find Out The Favorites: This is the starting point for all our healthy eating habits. Just like in our previous post, the best way to ensure your family is eating vegetables is to find out what everyone likes. This may take some trial-and-error at times, but we encourage you to go to your nearest farmers market and buy small quantities of different foods to try at home. You may even surprise yourself with a new favorite.
2. Some Raw, Some Cooked: Not all veggies can be consumed raw, so do some research to find out what will yield the maximum amount of nutrition when preparing vegetables. In some instances, some are healthier consumed raw than cooked, but then there are some that can only be consumed cooked.
3. Get Colorful: There are an assortment of colorful vegetables to add to ones diet. Try different foods from different color groups to enhance your diet (and your visual happiness).
4. Cut Into Fun Shapes: For many, presentation is everything. For your picky eaters, why not try cutting some vegetables into fun shapes. This may encourage them to eat them.
5. Stir In The Veggies: A quick fun way to also eat more vegetables is to do a stir-fry. We hardly fry anything at our home, so we rarely recommend frying foods, but every once in a while, a stir-fry dish is just the thing to go along side some brown rice or potatoes. Some of our favorites to add include carrots, peppers, baby corn, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. To avoid adding too much oil (or fat), use a non-stick frying pan or wok, but if that is not available, use very little fat for frying. For a complete meal, add some beans to mix and enjoy!
6. Green Smoothies Anyone? This could be a hit for some. We have never done green smoothies at our home, but for many, this is a meal replacement. Vegetable smoothies may be a good way to get more greens into the body, but do not overdo it; also plan to eat your vegetables as well.
7. The Wonderful World Of Salads: Salads can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be. There are so many items you can add to your salad that combinations are practically endless. So try to mix and incorporate all kinds of vegetables, nuts, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), legumes (beans, peas), grains (rice, corn) and a few fruits (dried naturally sweetened cranberries, raisins, sultanas) and you are sure to be full, happy and filled with energy for the whole day.
What are we missing? Do you have recommendations for us? Post a comment or email us to let us know.
Happy eating!