Everyone knows that vegetables are good for you. But many of my patients at Olivera Weight Loss tell me that, even though they know vegetables are healthy, they just don’t like them.
There are hundreds of ways to prepare vegetables. If you are one of those vegetable haters, maybe you just haven’t had them cooked to your liking.
I would like to give you a little nutritional information on vegetables, and then suggest some different ways to fix them.
Did you know that broccoli has protein? For instance, ½ cup of cooked broccoli has 1.86 grams of protein and 4.1 grams of fiber, as well as, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, K, E, niacin, and folate.
The same elements are found in carrots, beets, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, green and red peppers, kale, leeks, lima beans, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peas, pumpkin, spinach, spaghetti squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, and turnips.
I have personally struggled with weight gain since high school, and have tried many different recipes. Here are some recipes I have either found or created over the years. I hope this helps some of you to actually enjoy your vegetables!
- Carrots: A simple and delicious way to cook carrots is to sauté them in orange juice. Simply slice the carrots, put them in a skillet with about ¼ cup of orange juice and enough water to cover the carrots. Cook on low for 20-30 minutes until the carrots are tender and the liquid is evaporated. Then, let the bottom brown lightly – this caramelizes the sugar in the carrots and orange juice, giving them a natural sweetness.
- Beets: You can cook beets in a similar fashion. Slice fresh beets and put them in a saucepan. Add ¼ cup orange juice and enough water to cover the beets. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional additions: Include any fresh herbs you might have – basil, oregano, thyme, parsley; a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of sugar other than white, such as turbinado
- Cream of Broccoli Soup: Clean and cut up 2 heads of broccoli. Put in a saucepan with 1-½ cups of fat free chicken broth, two sprigs of fresh oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper to taste ( just a pinch for those who don’t like highly spiced food). Simmer until broccoli is soft, then puree. Return to saucepan, add 1 cup skim or 1% milk, 1 tsp turbinado sugar, and more salt and cayenne if needed.