Hate Vegetables? These Tricks Can Help!
By Sara Butler
Vegetables are one of the pillars of a healthy diet. They’re full of healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to be healthy. The problem is that not everyone loves vegetables. In fact, many people consider themselves firmly in the meat and potato crowd. But boosting your vegetable intake, particularly vegetables of all colors, is important to your health. Here are a few ways you can sneak vegetables into your diet even if you’re a vegetable hater.
Can’t You Just Take a Vitamin?
Many people assume that if they don’t get what they need from their diet, then they can simply take a pill to make up for what they’re missing. If only it were that easy.
The truth is that there’s no quick fix to fueling your body the right way. It gains far more from actually ingesting whole grains and vegetables than a pill could ever provide for you -- not to mention the essential fibers and phytochemicals that can’t be adequately recreated in a lab somewhere. Basically, vitamins -- while useful to fill some dietary gaps -- will never be a good substitute for the real thing. That’s why learning to get your vegetables in is so important to your health and wellness.
Start with the Familiar
OK, it’s time to think hard. You may hate vegetables, but there’s going to be one or two that you can handle without too much trouble. Green beans or potatoes are often a great place to start. Take a vegetable you don’t mind too much and begin to springboard from there. If you don’t mind potatoes, try parsnips. If you like green beans, then try corn or peas. If you need to, you can combine it with something else to add a little flavor. Think bacon, which is helpful to help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in vegetables. Just don’t add too much bacon.
Experiment
Try different cooking methods to see what you think. You may be surprised how a cooking method can transform a vegetable from meh to magnificent! Roasting is a great example. It adds great depth to vegetables such as squash and sweet potatoes. You may also want to try ricing vegetables such as cauliflower to use in place of rice. You can also try marinating vegetables overnight in a vinaigrette to add more depth and flavor. You may find a new favorite food!
You need vegetables to be healthy, so do what you can to get them into your diet -- whatever you must do!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Albuquerque, N.M.