NoExcusesGym

 Make life easier with these little tricks to work in your daily dose of vegetables.

1. Toss with pasta. Chop or shred zucchini or summer squash and add to marinara for fiber boost.

2. Double up. Two slices of tomato on your burger can make a big difference.

3. Make eggs more “incredible”. Stir veggies in your omelet or scrambled eggs, or make quiche with asparagus, spinach, and mushrooms.

4. Add to sweets. Think carrot cake and pumpking or zucchini breads. And use carrot juice as the liquid in baked goods, replacing the milk or water. Substitute sugar with Splenda for cooking. It taste the same, really!

5. Start with salad. Even iceberg lettuce is better than nothing because it’s usually a vehicle for other nutrients.

6. Go ahead, have an appetizer. Choose starters like tomato-basil bruschetta or low-fat spinach dip with carrots and celery.

7. Pep up pizza. Always order extra veggies on your pizza.

8. Get juicy. Replace chicken broth with low-sodium vegetable juice as a base for soups.

9. Add salsa…to everything. Top baked potatoes, rice, chicken, sandwiches, eggs, and tacos ( the list goes on) for a kick of cancer-fightting lycopene.

10. Drink your veggies. Drink V8, or juice vegetables like carrots, spinach, and celery. You can add apple juice to cut the bitterness.

11. Enhance soup. Make dinner easy: Add fresh or frozen veggies to cans of low-sodium soup.

12. Be saucy. Top chicken, turkey, or fish with a puree of cooked squash, carrots, roasted red peppers, and a touch of fresh ginger.

13. Make over meatloaf. Adding chopped spinach or carrots and onion into meatloaf will keep it moist and juicy. It works for turkey burgers, too.

14. Pump up casseroles. Even if the recipe doesn’t call for veggies, slip them in by adding fresh mushrooms or frozen peas and broccoli.

15. Stock up on munchies. Keep bagged, raw veggies (cucumbers, carrots, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower) at the ready. You’ll have something to reach fro when hunger hits.

16. Slip into spreads. Mix shredded carrots with peanut butter and spread on celery. Dip carrots in hummus or combine shredded veggies with cream cheese for your bagel.

17. Say Ole. Pile avocado, tomato, lettuce, onion, and cilantro on tacos, burritos, and fajitas.

18. Pair with protein. Add shredded carrots or zucchini and chopped onions to chicken, tuna, or tofu salad.

19. Get friendly with a farmer. Since seasonal veggies taste best, you’ll be more inclined to eat them. Take a trip to your local farmer’s market.

20. Do a plate check. At lunch and dinner fill at least half your plate with salad or cooked or raw veggies.

 

source: Health, March 2007