…is something most of us have heard for as long as we can remember. The expression seems at once trite, magnificent and so dull that time seems to stand still. It’s no wonder that so many boycott greens as soon as they’re old enough to decide for themselves what goes on their plate.
But the fact of the matter is that fruit and vegetables keep you fuller, happier and more energetic – and they also taste really good!
Another reason we don’t eat enough greens is that we tend to forget how simple it is to eat more fruit and vegetables every day. That’s why we want to share with you 10 good tips for making your life a little greener!
Shine the spotlight on the veg! Forget all about the plate model for a moment. Marinade and barbecue a 100% veggie kebab or make a confit from freshly harvested beetroot in red wine.
Most of us want to make an effort to eat enough greens, but we often hear friends complain that they buy them and then end up throwing them out when they go bad. A simple trick is to make room for your greens on a shelf higher up in the fridge.
Another trick is to sneak vegetables into the dishes you love most. Here are a few suggestions: Try mixing a handful of spinach into your pancake batter or adding some cauliflower or parsnips to your mashed potatoes. When you make tomato sauce for pasta or pizza, just add some pumpkin or chopped celeriac.
Many will find the notion of mixing vegetables or fruit into breads or cakes unusual. However, fruit and veg like carrots, courgette, apples and yellow or red beetroots can make breads and cakes both moister and tastier, as well as keep you feeling fuller and happier longer.
We think making juice or smoothies is the very best way to eat more fruit and vegetables. If you have a raw juice centrifuge or a good blender, then the only limit to what you can mix and match is your imagination. (However, here’s one good tip: don’t mix red and green fruit or veggies, because you’ll end up with a very unappetising colour.) Some examples are kale, spinach, carrots, apples, cucumber, mint, ginger, strawberries, kiwi, pears – you name it!
Another of our top tricks is to serve vegetables before the meal, when people are most hungry. For instance, you can serve a good dip with some vegetable sticks. Another tip is to sneak in some competitors to the good old carrot and cucumber. Why not try snap peas, cauliflower or fennel next time?
Make veggies extra special with a drizzle of good olive oil or melted butter or a sprinkle of Apetina before serving.
Do you tend to forget to buy vegetables or just have a hard time picking them out? Today, there a range of services that deliver boxes filled with a variety of fresh greens right to your door, putting an end to all your excuses!
If you think a salad is iceberg with a few slices of cucumber and tomato, then of course the thought of salad turns you off. Try adding something new to your salad, like spinach, Italian black cabbage, pomegranate seeds, pea shoots or edamame beans, and top with a good vinaigrette or creamy dressing.
You don’t need a particularly large garden or particularly green thumbs to grow them yourself. Plant some herbs in your window box or sow some peas in a container. It doesn’t get more local than that!