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Tricks for getting enough veggies?
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I was wondering if anyone has any tricks for getting a lot of veggies in during the day? I was told by a nutritionist that I need to eat more of them (which I already knew) and it's not that I don't like them, it's just a lot more convenient to grab a piece of fruit! Just curious to see what other busy folks are doing to get in lots of greens......
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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I often prepare a weeks worth of baggies/containers of carrots, I buy the full size organic rather than the baby ones, more work to peel and chop but cheaper and tastier, but I have to do it all at once or else I wont during the week...so I have all my bags (or containers, I am trying to cut down on throw away stuff so use empty yogurt and cottage cheese containers sometimes) or carrots and add what else I have, raw zuchini, peppers, celery etc. For me the trick is have it already made and ready to grab. THen I bring hummus or PB or just eat them straight.
When they start to just be not so fresh that they arent great raw, then they are already ready to stir fry in a jiff.
is V8 cheating? lots of sodium but I like it and it seems to curb hunger too.
Baked sweet potato is a quick meal in the microwave with some cottage cheese and a dash of nutmeg on top...
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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I love veggies.

Salads are always good - current favorite there is spring greens with carrots, tomato, sprouts, and Annie's Goddess dressing.
Steamed spinach with feta cheese sprinkled over it
Roast them - for a side dish for dinner I'm roasting potatoes, snow peas, red pepper, broccoli, and carrot. Throw in the oven with some olive oil and rosemary or other spices.
baby carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas - those are all easy to pack for snacks.

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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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Ditto on salads. We have a good-to-great salad bar at work, so I have one every day. I also eat lots of vegetable soup. Someone (kittycat, maybe?) posted an incredibly easy vegetable soup recipe a few years ago -- frozen veggies, baby carrots, crushed tomatoes, and a chicken broth base. Saute garlic and a huge onion before adding the liquids, bring to a boil, add the remaining veggies, and simmer. It's done when the baby carrots have a consistency that seems like it belongs in soup! The easiest soup recipe ever, and it tastes great!
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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BBQ! Not sure if the BBQ kills the nutritional value of the veggies then but we're seriously grilling pretty much every veggie we have as sidedishes to our main course (or simply with some grilled bread and oil if the weather is too hot to eat). Yummy!


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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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Salads,
Grab as many leafy greens as you can (the more variety, the better)
throw on some walnuts, cranberries, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil with a side of meat, and your set.
That's pretty much my dinner most nights.
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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Many of us were raised on dinners that consisted of meat, rice and/or potatoes and a veggie. However, I realized that I don't even like rice and potatoes very much - I just did it that way because my mother always did. So, now I always make 2 (or sometimes 3) veggies each night for dinner. Having a variety of veggies makes me eat more of them. In fact, I often take very little of the main course and fill up on veggies. I also try to eat some kind of veggie at lunch, even if it's just carrots.
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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For dinners I find creative ways to add them to dishes.
I make lots of pasta so I can roast veggies then pour pasta and tomato sauce over top and bake into a casserole.
Also, a great idea i came across is to microwave green giant creamed spinach and add that to tomato sauce. It makes a really good sauce, kind of like a ravioli sauce.
I like the green giant frozen veggies poured over top of couscous too. You can make that the night before and have something for a good quick lunch the next day.
Finally, pizza, all veggies in the house and no cheese!!
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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I have some fast tricks. I love veggies but I hate to cook and chop etc. I never really use a recipie I make it up as I go along. I know it's better to eat fresh, but if I didn't use my shortcuts I would never eat veggies.

On Sundays I saute veggies zucchini, summer squash, spinach, onions, tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms and whatever else I feel like putting in the mix. This is my veggie stock and it goes in everything. Eggs in the am. Tomato Sauces. SOmetimes I just heat it up and sprinkle some Parm cheese or put a little mozz cheese on. Did I mention that my supermarket all ready has most of these veggies chopped for me?

Another dish I use the veggie stock with it is to make spaghetti squash lasagna. Spaghetti squash is another great veggie you can make ahead. I put it in the oven at 375 whole just put some fork holes in it. Cook for about an hour until it's soft. Then let it cool. Cut it open and take out the seeds. Then take a fork and shread it. You can keep the strands in the refridg for a few days and make a lot of great stuff with it. Do a google search. Anyway I make lasagna with mine it's real easy b/c I all ready have the veg stock in the fridg. And it's packed with veggies..I just basically mix in a 28 oz can of crushed tom and my veggie mix with the squash. Sprinkle on mozz cheese. It's so good. Easy to pack and eat for lunch at work.

I also will eat frozen veggies. I take with me to work everyday a Green Giant Healthy Vision package. The whole thing is like 90 cals and it fills me up. There are also the Steam Fresh ones which are great!!! I eat a lot of veggies this way. I hate to cook and chop so I take shortcuts. For a snack I will often grab a package of French greens beans w the almonds and spray some of that butter stuff on Yummy!!

For salads I buy bagged lettuce. I also buy a package of Trininty mix which is chopped onion,celery and green pepper that my supermaket has. It stays fresh for a about three days. I also buy cherry tomatoes. It takes me 3 mins to make a salad.

My supermarket also has carrot chips. I pack them with hummus for a snack also. Of course the baby carrots are great too.

HEre is my winter stock. It makes for great leftovers. I roast root veggies-sweet potato, turnip, parsnips, carrots,beets and rudabagers ?sic.(my supermarket has a lot of these all ready chopped as well)..spray with pam and roast at 425 for about an hour...it's so good
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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I put a carrot in my smoothies. Can't taste it. I have a friend who puts a handful of spinach in his smoothies.
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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Puree 1 small bunch of Kale, 1 ripe banana and 1 mango or 1/2 melon or 2 ripe pears; 1 Cup ice water and (optional) 1 Tbsp bee pollen, chia seeds and/or hemp powder; 2 Tbsp raw honey. Drink mid morning or mid afternoon. You get ALL of the greens you need and then some; lots of protein, vitamins and minerals.

leslie myers
http://www.foodsensenow.com
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [Honey] [ In reply to ]
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For some reason, I'm imagining that icky green drink Renee Russo drank in the Thomas Crown Affair ...
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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Lots of good ideas....thanks! Making them at dinner usually isn't a problem but getting them in other times if it isn't handy has been my weakness.
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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baby carrots and celery are good with hummus. i keep a bowl of cut carrots, celery, cucumber and peppers in the refrigerator and have them with a little bit of dip. Whenever i make rice or pasta, i throw frozen peas in as well. when i make a sandwich i pile it up HIGH with lettuce, spinach, cucumber, tomato and spouts. It makes me feel like i am having a big sandwich, but its big from veggies which is good. i have a huge salad every day for lunch, which gets me a lot as well. for breakfast, an omelet with tomato, peppers, onions and spinach is good as well.



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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [PC] [ In reply to ]
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great suggestions! I never thought of spaghetti squash lasagna and just made some! but I used jar sauce that I doctored up with onion and garlic, I hope this is going to turn out OK as after it was in the oven I read a blog that said never use sauce, just canned tomatoes? well too late its in the oven now and smells awesome, thanks for that idea.
I also like to roast a ton of vegetables on the weekend, maybe similar to what you do? ones I like are red onion, garlic, zuchini, summer squash, potatoes, olives, carrots and I cut ut up and have two pans full, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic and salt and pepper...then its good like that, or in eggs, etc.
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I've done it with t sauce before and it came out fine! I'm going to try and roast the veggies this week. That sounds good.
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [csb] [ In reply to ]
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Not the same thing......you'd probably like it!

leslie myers
http://www.foodsensenow.com
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [csb] [ In reply to ]
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I eat a huge salad every day. I take a Corelle serving bowl, fill it with romaine lettuce or field greens, top it with olives, sliced peppercini (spelling?), mushrooms, sliced carrots, and tomatoes, and pour 2 tbspn of lowfat salad dressing on it.

Here are more veggie soup recipes. I've only tried the first one, but the others also sound tasty.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/....aspx?recipeid=99961 (basic soup)
http://www.weightwatchers.com/....aspx?recipeid=96481 (slow cooker)
http://www.weightwatchers.com/...aspx?recipeid=140501 (Asian variation)
http://www.weightwatchers.com/...aspx?recipeid=140831 (Mexican variation)
http://www.weightwatchers.com/...aspx?recipeid=140891 (Italian variation)



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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [JBird] [ In reply to ]
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Prepackaged raw sugar snap peas ready to eat. I luv em. They also make snow peas
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [GhiaGirl] [ In reply to ]
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I put spinach in my smoothies, too. One cup of spinach, protein powder, water, and frozen strawberries. You CANNOT taste the spinach at all!!

Jessica
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Re: Tricks for getting enough veggies? [Jessica] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the "hidden vegetables" smoothie ideas. I will try that when I get home.
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