Ways To Add More Vegetables To Your Diet

We've all heard about how we should eat our vegetables all our lives, and now we have information at our fingertips to show us why it's so important. We need a steady and healthy diet of this important food group to keep our digestive systems operating efficiently, to keep our brains doing the same thing, and to provide many of the important nutrients we need for a healthy life as well as to fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Today we also have decisions to make about whether we want organic vegetables or not in this changing world that sometimes seems full of chemicals and pesticides, bacteria, viruses, pathogens, carcinogens, etc., that try to assault us on a daily basis. We need to be careful about how we care for our food once we get it home, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, that have been handled by so many other people.

We need to know how to store it properly to lengthen the time before it spoils, and to make sure we are eating it when it can benefit us most. We need to know how to prepare it in ways that enhance looks, taste and nutrition. With all that in mind I've assembled some information here to help with those things. Read on to find out how you can help improve organization, simplify your life, and thus enjoy it more, with just a few changes.

Here are some easy ways to incorporate more vegetables into your diet:

Add grated raw vegetables to batters and dough for quick breads, muffins and cookies.

Choose a wide variety of salad greens, including arugula, chicory, collard, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach and watercress.

Look for pasta made with vegetables, such as spinach or beets.

Stir-fry vegetables with tofu or just a small portion of poultry, seafood or meat.

Order a vegetarian pizza instead of a meat-based pizza.

Use vegetables as a base for or as added ingredients in soups.

Enrich or thicken soups and sauces with cooked and pureed vegetables in place of cream or whole milk.

Add grated raw carrot to lean ground beef or turkey when making meatloaf or meatballs.

Add chopped vegetables to your spaghetti sauce.

Enjoy vegetables as snacks by keeping them ready to eat in the refrigerator.

Many different kinds of vegetables fill the produce section of your grocery store, so don't limit yourself to familiar favorites. Try some unusual vegetables, such as jicama, kohlrabi, okra or watercress. You may discover new favorites that add both interest and health benefits to your diet.

Here are some tips to help you store, prepare, and serve your veggies at their best:

Storing

Store fresh vegetables according to their type. Place root vegetables, such as potatoes and yams, in a cool, dark place. Store other vegetables in the refrigerator crisper drawer.

Don't wash vegetables before storing. Make sure all produce is dry before storing.

Throw away produce you've kept too long. Discard vegetables that are moldy or slimy, smell bad, or are past the "best if used by" date.

Use quick-cooking techniques. Stir-frying, steaming and microwaving are quick-cooking methods. Long exposure to higher temperatures leads to some loss of nutrients. Try to use as little water as possible when cooking vegetables, and consider reserving any cooking water — which contains nutrients — for adding to soups, stews or sauces.

Serving

Wash vegetables thoroughly to remove dirt and pesticide residue before cooking. If possible, use a small scrub brush to help clean potatoes, cucumbers or other vegetables that have skin you eat.

Leave edible peels on vegetables whenever possible. The peels of many vegetables — especially potatoes — contain considerable amounts of nutrients and fiber.

Enjoy many vegetables raw. Keep bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery or other raw vegetables ready to eat in your refrigerator.

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