Monday, February 18, 2013

Help! I don't like vegetables!

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So you don't like vegetables. I know, I know. You were probably forced to eat them as a kid and now you're worried that to catch up to your veggie-loving friends you either have to be a foodie with access to exotic ingredients or start drinking green smoothies with kale and radishes and who knows what else in them.

Relax. If you enjoy cooking and green smoothies get you going in the morning, that's great! But if you don't, that's okay. This week we're going to cover some ideas for eating more green, even if you still consider ketchup a vegetable (sorry, it's not).  

Fruits and vegetables are the most health-promoting foods on the planet. They help ward off disease, improve immunity, and keep us full when we are trying to lose weight. And, the more vegetables you eat, the better. While eating vegetables doesn't guarantee that you won't get cancer, a recent study shows that individuals who increased their veggie servings from two to five a day significantly decreased their cancer risk. Its enough to get me to open up and say spinach! 

Here's how you can start liking veggies a little more:

1. Eat the ones you can tolerate. Baby carrots, corn on the cob, green beans...these dinnertime staples might not be fancy or fashionable, but they have bona-fide health benefits that shouldn't be ignored. Start with the foods you like, and give your tastebuds a chance to get used to new flavors. Then, start branching out into one new veggie every week or so.

2. Use dips and spreads to add flavor. Dipping raw vegetables into a small amount of healthy salad dressing (*ahem* a small amount of healthy salad dressing) can add flavor to veggies and make them fun for kids to eat. Hummus and natural peanut butter are also great dips and spreads. Keep calories in check by limiting your dip to two tablespoons, and if you need help determining what a healthy salad dressing might be, try out Newman's Own Creamy Balsamic.

3. Add veggies to dishes you are already making. Top whole wheat pizza with green peppers, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, and black olives. Toss some zucchini into your spaghetti sauce. Mix spinach into your hamburgers. Look for opportunities to blend vegetables into your day, and before you know it, the new flavors will become something you look forward to.

Get more ideas for incorporating vegetables into your day in this video. And, continue to login and track your numbers at www.95210.org. 

Now get going...eat a rainbow every day!

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