I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "To be healthy, you can only eat salad". That's simply not the case.
There is a common misconception that you are only allowed to eat rabbit food in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. That is wildly incorrect. Yes, I always say 'fresh is best' when it comes to fruits and vegetables, which is true, but sometimes that's just not a reality.
Many factors are at play here.
You may not like vegetables.
Maybe your spouse doesn't 'eat what food eats'.
You may feel self-conscious because your family doesn't support your dietary choices.
Maybe your kids don't like them and feed their vegetables to the dog.
You might want a meal that is more warming and grounded.
Certain produce may not be in season, limiting what you can include in a salad or bowl.
Like I said, so many factors.
But let's take a step back, why are vegetables so important? Why should we want to sneak them in?
Vegetables, like all whole foods, offer a wide range of nutrients. Each vegetable consists of its very own web of nutrients and health benefits. Not only do they supplement vitamin and mineral deficiencies, they also impact organs and physiological function on specific levels. Consistently including a variety of vegetables in your diet ensures that your vitamin and mineral levels maintain healthy balances (to an extent; there are certain vitamins we can't get through food and supplementation is suggested), so that the processes and systems in your body have what they need to operate efficiently, and so that your immune system/gut is working properly to fight off infection.
So how do you 'sneak in vegetables'? It's pretty simple. Take a look at the 5 ways I hide vegetables in my meals:
1. Hide Vegetables In Smoothies
If you're not much of a veggie person, this is probably the easiest way to sneak vegetables into your diet because you can't physically see them. The vegetables are simply blended with the fruit and everything else. The key is to pick vegetables that don't have an overbearing taste, complement fruit flavors, and are highly nutritious. Spinach and kale are my favorite because their flavors aren't strong and they are highly nutritious. Carrots are another great option. They are considered a sweet vegetable and pair nicely with fruit.
2. Hide Riced Cauliflower With Your Whole Grains
Like I said in #1, you want to try to find vegetables that do not have an overbearing flavor - if you're trying to hide them. That's why I love mixing riced cauliflower with whole grains. The flavor is anonymous and it elevates the nutrient value of your rice bowls. You can make your own riced cauliflower from scratch or purchase it frozen at the store. Shockingly, frozen vegetables are still packed with nutrients because the produce is harvested and frozen immediately. If you're going to purchase frozen riced cauliflower, try to stick with organic brands.
3. Sneak Vegetables In Soup
This is my personal favorite way to sneak in veggies. Soups are easy to add vegetables to because they are very flexible in what ingredients you can include. My favorite vegetable to sneak in is spinach because of its lack of flavor and how it wilts down to virtually nothing so you can't tell it's there. If a recipe doesn't call for vegetables like spinach, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery, onion, garlic, or peppers, experiment by adding one or all of these to your next soup. It's a great way to customize your recipes, increase nutritional value, and trick your family into eating more veggies...muahaha!
4. Sneak Vegetables In Pasta
This is a very similar concept to #3. Again, spinach is great because it wilts down to nothing and you can barely taste it. Other examples include mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, green peppers, even zucchini. A sneakier way to elevate your pasta sauce is to blend in carrots. Tomato sauce is very acidic, and most spaghetti sauce recipes call for sugar. Instead of adding sugar, blend in some carrots to balance out the acidity while sneaking more vegetables into the meal. You'll kill two birds with one natural stone.
5. Sneak Extra Vegetables In Pasta, Rice, and Even Vegetable Salads
I almost never only use the ingredients listed in a recipe. I always add more vegetables whenever I can, especially in salads. Salads are a great opportunity to sneak in veggies because you're already eating a whole bowl of them. In any kind of salad, whether it's a pasta, rice, or vegetable salad, it should reflect a rainbow of colors (even if the recipe didn't call for those vegetables). Another way to sneak in veggies is to add 1-2 new vegetables that you never or rarely use. It adds a variety of flavors and nutrients your body might not be used to; and if you don't like them, you can add extra dressing!
I hope this helps you and/or your family enjoy eating vegetables more! It's always a talking point at dinner with my husband whenever I add an ingredient and he couldn't tell it was in there…I promise you he still trusts me.
If you have any questions about recipes and other ways to sneak vegetables into your diet, feel free to DM me on Instagram at @r.a.w.balance, message me on Facebook, or send me a message via my contact page.
Yorumlar