Don’t know how to eat your greens?
It’s no secret that eating your greens are a crucial part of a healthy, balanced diet. Combined with other food types, getting enough fresh veggies is critical in promoting a healthy lifestyle and being in control of your body and your weight. Whether you’re a bodybuilder looking to pack on lean muscle or looking to fight the fat – vegetables provide your body with important micro-nutrients that help it maintain itself.
Steaming your veggies
A healthy, yet convenient way to cook a vast number of vegetables is to steam them. Cauliflower, sprouts, bok choy and broccoli are all excellent vegetables that cook well when steamed. All cruciferous vegetables, the aforementioned make a great source of vitamin C, water-soluble fibre and an array of other nutrients and phytochemicals for your body. The by-products of glucosinolates, found in cruciferous vegetables, are thought to possess anti-cancer properties.
Enjoying a roast
A Sunday favourite, roasting vegetables is an excellent way to cook your vegetables to make part of a well-balanced meal. You can roast leek, eggplant (aubergine), mushrooms, kale as well as many other vegetables to keep your diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Considered to be one of the healthiest foods on the market, kale is an excellent provider of beta carotene, Vitamins C and K and calcium, as well as many others.
Related: 6 best sources of Vitamin A
Boiled greens
Another convenient way to enjoy your vegetables is by boiling. Vegetables that boil well include parsnips, corn and collard greens. It’s well reported that dark, leafy greens are a great choice when opting for a healthy, well balanced diet and collard greens are just that. Providing you with a source of soluble fibre and a wide range of micronutrients.
Nuke ‘em
Possibly the most convenient way of all (except not cooking at all) is to microwave your vegetables to prepare for eating. Microwaving means you don’t need to add oil and you’ll also maintain the nutrition value of your greens. Green beans, turnips, snap peas and asparagus are all great choices for the microwave. Being low in calories yet high in nutritional value, asparagus gives your body much need soluble fibre, vitamins, minerals and also asparagine – a natural amino acid.
Forget cooking
Some vegetables are best eaten untouched, and just need to be washed before being prepared as part of a salad or other dish. Vegetables you can eat raw include bell peppers, lettuce, cabbage and cucumber – it doesn’t take a kitchen whizz to throw these together with a bit of lean meat or low-fat dressing to prepare a well-balanced salad as a snack or meal.
With so many ways to prepare your vegetables there’s really no excuse for not including them in your diet. Many vegetables can be purchased cheaply and don’t need expensive, specialist equipment to prepare, but don’t forget to include other food types as part of your diet to maintain a healthy balance.
Photo Credits: Pixabay
