We all know a diet rich in vegetables is the foundation for health and should be commonplace in our everyday eating. Eating more plant based foods by virtue, encourages us to eat more real, nutritious and wholesome foods that are as close to nature as possible and eating less processed foods that are quite high in added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats. Vegetables are very high in minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fibre and naturally low in fat. It is well documented that all these vital nutrients that are plentiful in vegetables work in perfect synergy together to improve your health and reduce your risk of disease. We often just think vegetables for dinner, but they are so versatile and so easy to get in to other times of the day to make your 5 a day ….
Try these quick, easy and delicious ways to get more veges into your day ….
Breakfast Toast toppers
- sauteed mushrooms and tomato
- sweet corn, diced tomato and baby spinach, parsley and avocado
- baby spinach, sliced tomato, salad onion, haloumi, squeeze of lemon
- smashed avocado, crumbled fetta or poached egg, toasted pepitas and sunflower seeds and squeeze of lemon
- spread of ricotta cheese on toast with diced capsicum, grape tomatoes, olives
- or forget the toast and try using a medium slice of sweet potato straight into the toaster (will need two goes with the toaster on low-medium setting to ensure you don’t leave too long in toaster as can soften too much and difficult to get out of the toaster) and then drizzle with olive oil, dukkah
Lunch with some Munch & Crunch
Whether it be a layer in a Mason jar or a sectioning in a nourish bowl, lunch is the perfect time to add some more vege into your day. Fabulous salad inclusions are rocket, baby spinach, lettuce, kale, grape tomatoes, cucumber, sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced snow peas, green beans, capsicum, fresh herbs, dry coleslaw, carrot, leftover roasted/grilled vegetables (sweet potato, pumpkin, capsicum, zucchini, eggplant), sprouts, radish, baby beets, tabouli.
quinoa tabouli salad with felafel bed of quinoa tabouli (quinoa, parsley, mint, finely chopped salad onion, tomato, evoo and lemon juice), grape tomatoes, felafel, lemon zest, dollop of hommus, with squeeze of lemon and chopped mint
layered jar vinaigrette, wholemeal pasta, chopped tomatoes, tuna, rocket, basil, salad onion, shavings of parmesan cheese, pinenuts OR red wine vinaigrette, freekah, chopped green beans, salmon, baby cos lettuce, thinly sliced radish, snow pea sprouts, dill, lemon wedge
lamb & kale salad mix of baby spinach and kale, grilled lamb, diced cucumber, olives, roasted capsicum, grape tomatoes, fetta cheese and sourdough croutons
Thai Chicken Salad diced chicken, cucumber, capsicum, grape tomatoes, brown rice noodles, roasted peanuts, Thai dressing, snow pea sprouts
Greek Salad baby spinach, red capsicum, black deseeded olives, thinly sliced red capsicum, feta cheese, quartered and diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, basil & oregano & continental parsley
brown rice salad brown rice, brown lentils, sautéed red onion, diced carrot, parsley, rocket, sultanas, sunflower seeds, pepitas, capsicum and tahini dressing (tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, s&p)
nourishing salad bowl bed of quinoa in centre, avocado, baby spinach topped with tomato, roasted pumpkin slices, grated beetroot, grilled haloumi slices, a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of dukkah
Sensational Vege Snacks
When prepping vegetables, cut up extra and pop into a container lined top and bottom with wet paper towels/clean tea towel of chopped raw veges ready to go (snowpeas, capsicum, green beans, carrot, celery). These will keep for at least three days crisp, tasty and fresh.
- team up your favourite wholegrain crackers (eg spelt crispbreads, vitaweets, ryvitas) with tomato, salad onion, basil, evoo, S&p bruschetta topping
- mezze platter – grape tomatoes, olives, roasted capsicum, wholemeal lavash crackers, fetta cheese
- mug of homemade vegetable soup
- try some wholemeal pita triangles with danish fetta, roasted pumpkin slices, mint and toasted pepitas
- trio of dips – beetroot dip, guacamole, tomato salsa with vege crudites (snow peas, capsicum, carrot, green beans, celery) and brown rice crackers
- Blitz some veges into your smoothies … avocado, beetroot, baby spinach, kale, carrot
- zucchini and roasted sweet potato slice
Be sure to get your 5 a Day