While you surely attempt to maintain your mother’s adage to eat your fruits and vegetables, something always gets in between you and that bag of carrots: cake, waffles or delicious macaroni and cheese. Sometimes it does seem like the world is against your efforts to try and eat healthly. Burger King is right there. Salads get in the way of your aspirations to be a Dollar Menunaire.
One of the Good Health Guidelines on the Weight Watchers program is to get five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. I know that this isn’t earth-shattering or controversial, but no one ever said I was the Ann Coulter of dieting. Eating stuff that came from plants that grew in the ground is the best way to get the nutrients we need to feel good.
I know, I know. It’s easier said than done, right? The produce section in the grocery store is overwhelming. What’s a good price for bell peppers? How do you know if that cantaloupe is good to buy? Where are the plastic bags and do I have to use them?
Since I don’t get off on being withholding, I’ll do my best to answer your biting produce questions. While I’m not sure about bell peppers specifically, if you buy any produce while it’s in season, it’s bound to be cheaper. As you shop more for yourself, you’ll get a feel for reasonable prices. Cantaloupes are good if they smell sweetly of melon and feel firm and somewhat hollow. And as far as the bags go, use them for things you don’t want rolling loose in your cart. If you’re buying bananas in a bunch, or maybe one apple at a time, it might be nice to save a bag. Green up a bit while you’re eating your greens. If anything gets too confusing, find the produce manager and talk to him — that’s what he’s there for.
At my last Weight Watchers meeting we discussed painless ways to insert fruits and veggies into your diet. Here are some of the best suggestions I heard from my leader and the people there:
Cut up some sweet potatoes fry-style and bake them in the oven with a bit of cooking spray. One woman said her kids love eating these for breakfast, and I can’t blame them — who doesn’t love sweet potatoes?
If you’re one of those people who loves to grill, try grilling up some veggies (and if you’re adventurous, fruit). Bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, bananas, cantaloupe, peaches, and pineapple are all interesting choices. Plus, they’d be amazing in kabob form.
Nothing could be easier than buying pre-made bag salad, grape tomatoes, baby carrots and some light Italian dressing for a quick and filling snack or meal component. But when you get bored of salad, which you will, think about stir fries and vegetable soups to get in your “five a day.”
Brownies can hide a number of less appealing flavors. Sure, there’s that one plant, but search the web and you’ll find recipes for brownies with exotic things such as prunes and black beans. Most of the time, no one’s the wiser. Fool yourself into eating veggies! It works!
Speaking of hiding things, if you want some low-carb mashed potatoes, try mashing some cauliflower. Soak it in chicken broth first, for flavor. My meeting leader said she made it for her daughter, who proceeded to eat the whole bowl before she realized there wasn’t a tuber to be found. If you like eating jello, grate a few carrots in when you mix it and before you put it in the fridge to set. It sounds crazy, but the ladies at the meeting swore it adds a pleasant nutty flavor.
If you want a low-carb alternative to spaghetti, get acquainted with spaghetti squash. The insides of this thing come out looking like pasta and tasting like … mildly crunchy pasta. Use your favorite pasta sauce and enjoy not feeling bloated afterward.
V8 juice is always a nice and lazy way to take your vegetables. If you can tolerate the low-sodium variety, that’s even better. They also make a spicy variety — if that’s your thing, go for it!
Use salsa instead of queso, ranch, or sour cream dip for your chips or crudite. Or mix the two. Every little change helps.
Finally, there was a woman who suggested that raw turnips made a great snack. While I’m a little skeptical (and you may be too), anything to add fruits and veggies into your repertoire can’t be a bad thing.
It takes a little effort, but when you start eating fruits and vegetables, your body will thank you. Those of you who still eat out of a dining hall have no excuse — that’s probably the easiest place to start (provided you can slide by the hot cookie bar unscathed). Just make it a point to fill half your plate with vegetables. I started losing weight when I was still eating out of Hinman; if I can do it, you can do it. Good luck in the grocery store this week, and try the jicama.