10 tips for Veggie-Haters

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable week? Did you over eat or did you keep on track? And who’s doing well logging their food?

With the weekend upon us perhaps you’ll have some time to analyse this week’s healthy eating progress.

There is one area of our healthy eating that I feel strongly about and that’s vegetables. Vegetables are one of those foods people either love or hate.

So for those of you who avoid vegetables ...Veggie-Haters- here’s a few tips on how you can add more of them to your daily diet. They are arguably the most health-promoting food group on the planet. If you aren't eating vegetables, you aren't getting all their amazing components like fibre, vitamins, antioxidants, and other powerful phytochemicals.

1: Add veggies you almost like to dishes you already love

Layer zucchini slices, chopped spinach, or cooked carrots into lasagne. Stir broccoli florets into macaroni and cheese. Toss whatever veggies you like (tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus) into an omelette.

2: Try them in soup

Embellish your favourite soups with added veggies. Some homemade soups already contain a nice amount of vegetables, but most canned and commercial choices can stand to have their veggie quota bumped up. Just add the raw or frozen vegetables while you are cooking or heating the soup.

3: Slip them into salads

Load your salads with all the veggies you enjoy (or at least tolerate). The options include cucumber, grated carrots, zucchini, green beans, onions, radishes, tomato, broccoli or cauliflower florets. You can even use spinach leaves or kale instead of lettuce.

4: Serve them raw

Raw veggies can be more appetizing than their cooked counterparts to people who aren't crazy about vegetables. The flavors of raw veggies can be milder than those of cooked ones. And the texture is crispy, rather than mushy.

6: Sneak them into whole-wheat spaghetti

Chop any vegetables your family likes (zucchini, onions, eggplant, broccoli, celery, carrots) and add them to the spaghetti sauce. The smaller you chop them, the less likely anyone will notice that they're there.

7: Drink your vegetables

Create your own veggie blend juice by blending some carrot juice with a fruit juice (like mango, tangerine, or orange).

8: Increase the fun factor

Let's face it: some vegetables are just more fun to eat than others. Corn on the cob (especially when grilled) continues to be fun into adulthood. So are veggie kabobs, and celery sticks filled with natural peanut butter. And a zucchini half, tomato, bell pepper or portobello mushroom stuffed with a savory filling.

10: Know how to cook the stronger flavoured veggies

To cut the bitterness of these veggies, there a few tricks. Add a little olive oil (or other fat) when stir-frying or sautéing; add something salty or sour (like a drizzle of light soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon, or shredded Parmesan); or glaze the vegetables with something sweet (a small spoonful of honey or orange marmalade)

Increase your vegetable intake please...if you think you’re eating enough then eat more!

See you soon

“Good food choices are good investments.”

Rosie