Make Mum Proud! – Interesting ways to make the good things more attractive.
Remember staring down disgustedly at your broccoli, pushing the pumpkin to the edge on your plate or forcing down a mushy pile of spinach to earn your ice cream for dessert?
By now we all know that our parents were right, and that vegetables not only contain important vitamins and minerals, but can even prevent some life-threatening diseases. Still, that knowledge may not make them easy to swallow, and it may not be a convincing reason when presented to your children either.
That’s why I decided it was high time to do a vegetable makeover and make those good guys a little more attractive.
Get a mouthful of these veggielicious ideas.
The Sultry Foreigner: A trip to Greece may not be in the budget, but it’s an easy task to adopt the Mediterranean diet right here at home. Sauté your vegetables in olive oil and herbs, they’ll taste great, and you won’t have the extra calories of butter or cheese.
What a Smooth Operator: Drinking at least three glasses of vegetable juice per week decreases the risk of dementia by an astonishing 76 percent, according to a Vanderbilt University study, and it much more attractive than a steamy pile of grey green mush! The key ingredients are polyphenols, which you can gain by purchasing a can of V8 or by tossing a few vegetables into your blender to create your own smoothie.
The Rugged Outdoorsy Type: There is a sense of satisfaction when you’ve grown your own food. Enlist your kids in the gardening process, and they’ll be more likely to eat the vegetables that they’ve planted and grown themselves.
Get Spiked: Spike your sauces by grating onions, carrots, beets, spinach and zucchini in your food processor, then toss them into your favorite marinara sauce. Vegetables can also be easily tossed into soup, pizza, lasagna, stir-fry dishes, and casseroles.
Mr Right Now: If your time is limited, buy a vegetable tray from the supermarket. The veggies are already washed and cut up, so you can easily reach in the refrigerator and eat them throughout the day.
Extra Tips to help your Vegetable Loving Flourish
- Keep cleaned fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator — ready to eat.
- Have vegetables instead of crackers on chips with low-fat dip for a snack.
- Try prepackaged salads and stir-fry mixes if you’re in a hurry.
- Add vegetables to casseroles, stews and soups.
- Drink 100% fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks or soda pop.
- Have fruit for dessert.
- Keep a bowl of apples, bananas and/or oranges on the table.
- Choose a side salad made with a variety of leafy greens.
- Bake with raisin, date or prune puree to reduce fat and increase fiber.
- Add lettuce, onions, peppers and/or tomatoes to sandwiches.
- Pack fresh or dried fruits for quick snacks.