By Jenny Abouobaia Okay so we all know for a healthy lifestyle we need to eat our veggies! These colourful bites of nutritiousness are ...
By Jenny Abouobaia
Okay so we all know for a healthy lifestyle we need to eat our veggies! These colourful bites of nutritiousness are packed with all the goodness needed for a balanced diet. Personally, I love a good veggie. Nothing excites me more on a plate than a beautiful brussel sprout! But for some people, the vegetable is simply a no go area! So, one way to get the goodness every vegetable has to offer, is by sneaking it into your diet!
Now, I know reading about brussel sprouts just made some of you gag, but in honesty getting your greens is super beneficial. If you are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, getting enough vegetable into your diet is a must. However, if you simply can't stomach them on your plate, there are a couple of ways you can sneak them into your diet which you may find more tolerable.
1: Juicing
Fresh vegetables are some of the best sources of nutrition and juicing them can be an excellent way to get all the vegetables you need into your diet. You can even mix specific combinations in order to create juices that do everything from give you more energy to offering a full body detox.
Fresh vegetable juice is packed with electrolyte minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These are super important for metabolism, stable blood sugar and numerous cellular processes throughout the body.
Instructions for Juicing:
Try where possible to use organic veggies and don’t be afraid to mix them with good old fashioned fruits. Especially if you're dubious about the flavour as a veggie hater! Great combos like orange and carrot juice kept on a 2:1 ratio gives you excellent nutrition while masking the vegetable taste.
If you can't find organic fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly with warm water to remove any waxes or sprays
Before you start juicing, put the juice of half a lemon in the collection container along with a couple of ice cubes, this minimises the oxidization and helps the juice retain as many nutrients as possible.
When putting your veggies through the juicer, try alternating between hard and soft produce. So start off with a carrot and follow with a tomato. This will get the most juice into your glass and help to stop the juicer overheating.
Try and drink your juice immediately for the most benefits. Plus freshly made juice is meant to be enjoyed as soon as it is made.
Juice Ideas:
For a morning pick me up try a hand full of kale with 2 apples, tomatoes and one medium cucumber.
Or for a pre workout boost try 1 large stick of celery, 3 carrots, a beetroot and a chunk of ginger.
2: Pickle Them
Fermented foods are one of the best sources of probiotics. At this time of year, this good bacteria can be essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. The best part is they are super easy to make at home. Plus, although many people don’t long for a plate of boiled broccoli, they love the taste of a traditional dill pickle.
Fermented foods take from 1-3 weeks to make at home and can be made in large batches and enjoyed hot or cold. There are numerous versions of fermented vegetables such as:
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Miso
What You Need For Fermented Vegetables:
Fermenting vegetables at home is pretty simple and needs minimal equipment. You will need some mason jars for storage along with your favourite vegetables (hard ones like cabbage, carrots, onions etc are preferable) and some salt water brine made with bottled water and sea salt.
3: Blend Them
Can’t be bothered with juicing or pickling? Even easier is just sticking your veggies in a blender! This is the ultimate sneaky way for true veggie haters. If you like a morning or pre workout shake, you will be surprised at how much more beneficial it will become simply by adding a handful of spinach!
You can put this in a whey protein mix with some greek yoghurt and peanut butter for the ultimate pre workout punch. You won’t be able to taste the spinach amongst the other ingredients, but it might turn it an odd shade of green! But if you can power through an hour of lifting, I’m sure you can manage a strange coloured shake!
Okay so we all know for a healthy lifestyle we need to eat our veggies! These colourful bites of nutritiousness are packed with all the goodness needed for a balanced diet. Personally, I love a good veggie. Nothing excites me more on a plate than a beautiful brussel sprout! But for some people, the vegetable is simply a no go area! So, one way to get the goodness every vegetable has to offer, is by sneaking it into your diet!
Now, I know reading about brussel sprouts just made some of you gag, but in honesty getting your greens is super beneficial. If you are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, getting enough vegetable into your diet is a must. However, if you simply can't stomach them on your plate, there are a couple of ways you can sneak them into your diet which you may find more tolerable.
1: Juicing
Fresh vegetables are some of the best sources of nutrition and juicing them can be an excellent way to get all the vegetables you need into your diet. You can even mix specific combinations in order to create juices that do everything from give you more energy to offering a full body detox.
Fresh vegetable juice is packed with electrolyte minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These are super important for metabolism, stable blood sugar and numerous cellular processes throughout the body.
Instructions for Juicing:
Try where possible to use organic veggies and don’t be afraid to mix them with good old fashioned fruits. Especially if you're dubious about the flavour as a veggie hater! Great combos like orange and carrot juice kept on a 2:1 ratio gives you excellent nutrition while masking the vegetable taste.
If you can't find organic fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly with warm water to remove any waxes or sprays
Before you start juicing, put the juice of half a lemon in the collection container along with a couple of ice cubes, this minimises the oxidization and helps the juice retain as many nutrients as possible.
When putting your veggies through the juicer, try alternating between hard and soft produce. So start off with a carrot and follow with a tomato. This will get the most juice into your glass and help to stop the juicer overheating.
Try and drink your juice immediately for the most benefits. Plus freshly made juice is meant to be enjoyed as soon as it is made.
Juice Ideas:
For a morning pick me up try a hand full of kale with 2 apples, tomatoes and one medium cucumber.
Or for a pre workout boost try 1 large stick of celery, 3 carrots, a beetroot and a chunk of ginger.
2: Pickle Them
Fermented foods are one of the best sources of probiotics. At this time of year, this good bacteria can be essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. The best part is they are super easy to make at home. Plus, although many people don’t long for a plate of boiled broccoli, they love the taste of a traditional dill pickle.
Fermented foods take from 1-3 weeks to make at home and can be made in large batches and enjoyed hot or cold. There are numerous versions of fermented vegetables such as:
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Miso
What You Need For Fermented Vegetables:
Fermenting vegetables at home is pretty simple and needs minimal equipment. You will need some mason jars for storage along with your favourite vegetables (hard ones like cabbage, carrots, onions etc are preferable) and some salt water brine made with bottled water and sea salt.
3: Blend Them
Can’t be bothered with juicing or pickling? Even easier is just sticking your veggies in a blender! This is the ultimate sneaky way for true veggie haters. If you like a morning or pre workout shake, you will be surprised at how much more beneficial it will become simply by adding a handful of spinach!
You can put this in a whey protein mix with some greek yoghurt and peanut butter for the ultimate pre workout punch. You won’t be able to taste the spinach amongst the other ingredients, but it might turn it an odd shade of green! But if you can power through an hour of lifting, I’m sure you can manage a strange coloured shake!
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