If you’re a meat and potatoes kind of guy, you may not be meeting your recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables (which for men ages 19 to 50 is eight to 10 servings daily according to Canada’s Food Guide). While fruit has more fans (who can resist juicy watermelon or sweet strawberries), vegetables may not be finding their way onto your plate as often as it should be. Here’s the thing, though. Many of us often automatically think of salads when it comes to veggies, but there are many other ways to get more of them into your diet than just a salad.
Prepare veggies in a way you haven’t tried before
Snacking on baby carrots and celery sticks just isn’t your thing. But have you tried roasting carrots—they taste wonderfully sweet when you do. How about grilling some scallions the next time you fire up the BBQ? Or baking some sweet potato fries or kale chips? Simply trying a different method may turn you into a fan of a veggie you weren’t fond of before.
Use veggies “disguised” in a different format
Instead of your usual spaghetti pasta, use spaghetti squash instead, or shave ribbons of zucchini as your noodles once in awhile. While you won’t trick your taste buds or your eyes, you’ll still be enjoying your favourite type of meal and your famous pasta sauce, just with a healthy helping of veggies.
Throw a veggie or two into your smoothie or juice
If your regular routine include enjoying a smoothie, why not experiment by including some vegetables in your blender? You might not even notice much of a difference in taste as the fruit flavour may be stronger. Try, kale, spinach or ginger root, for example (and if the resulting colour of the smoothie is unappetizing to you, pour it into an opaque travel mug so you notice the colour less than in a clear glass).
Throw some veggies into a favourite everyday meal
Add flavour to your usual meal by experimenting with different vegetables in your tried and true favourite recipes. Your frittata with bacon might taste wonderful with peas incorporated into it, or that omelette with cheese might win you over with some asparagus in it. Your turkey wrap might be totally new (and improved) to you if you add some roasted red peppers into it and with a bit of baba ghanouj as a spread instead of mayo.
