Tips to help you love vegetables

Published 9:57 am Friday, July 13, 2012

I recommend most everyone’s diet consist of 65-70 percent fruits and vegetables, and most of those, vegetables, but some don’t much care much for vegetables, because many of chemicals they contain, that make us healthier are the same ones that can make their taste unappealing.
Today I’m going to share some tips to help you love vegetables you might hate.
1. Don’t eat vegetables plain. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see, when folks try to eat healthier. There’s nothing wrong with mixing sauces and spices with your vegetables.
2. Try baby vegetables. As most vegetables mature, their flavors intensify, but baby produce has a milder, more appealing taste. Choose baby carrots, squash, artichokes and turnips.
3. When cooking cabbage, mix in fruit or apple juice to hide its strong taste. Adding malt vinegar to cooked cabbage is great too.
Cabbage, and the whole cabbage (cruciferous) family are great for us, because they contain isothiocyanates, which are chemicals that fight cancers. In fact, one study of 300 Chinese women found those who ate cabbage several times a week had 45 percent reduced risk for breast cancer, as well as reduced risk of lung and colon cancers.
Other members of the cruciferous family include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnips, bok choy, horseradish, radish and watercress.
4. Use oils. Preparing your vegetables with healthy olive oil makes them much more satisfying. A little butter is okay too.
These may add a few extra calories, but the healthful benefits of eating extra vegetables more than justifies it. Also, remember, many nutrients like carotenoids (pigments found in yellow, red, orange and dark green vegetables), can’t be absorbed by our bodies without adding some dietary fat.
5. If you don’t like the pungent taste of broccoli or cauliflower, try mashing them with potatoes for a milder flavor. Add just a tiny bit of parmesan cheese topping, and you’ve got a great au gratin dish
6. Steam your vegetables. Steaming vegetables for 1-2 minutes won’t harm much of their nutrient value, but will remove quite a bit of their bitterness.
7. Go to farmer’s markets. Many vegetables’, (especially cruciferous) bitter flavor intensifies the longer it stays on a shelf. Most farmers  pick their produce first thing in the morning, and sell it early that same day. Farmer’s markets are great. If you don’t grow it yourself, they often offer the freshest produce.
8. Roast your vegetables. Slice vegetables, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. They’ll have a whole other flavor.
9. Make soups. If you really don’t like the taste of vegetables, cook them in soups. This will mellow the taste of the vegetables, allowing them to take on the flavor of the soup’s seasonings.

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