vegetables

23 Surprising Ways to Jazz Up Common Veggies | The Health Sessions

23 Surprising Ways to Jazz Up Common Veggies

It’s one of the simplest and best things you can do for your health: eat the rainbow of vegetables. Getting your greens in provides you with the vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytonutrients necessary to function well. What’s more, a diet rich in fresh produce promotes good heart health and a healthy weight, lowers your risk for cancer and diabetes type 2, and even increases your happiness levels.

And yet, a shocking 90% of us do not eat the recommended amount of 2-3 cups or 200 grams of vegetables.

One of the main reasons people do not consume enough veggies is taste. If you’re not a fan of eating your greens either, there are a few things you can do to learn to like them better over time.

First of all, try new ingredients. Maybe you just haven’t found veggies you like yet! Instead of having peas and carrots again, give braised fennel, Ottolenghi-style leeks and stir-fried baby bok choy a go. You could also experiment with different cooking methods. Roasting, for example, gives a much sweeter flavor to vegetables, whereas grilling provides that crispy bite you love.

Another way to make your greens taste better is to jazz up your vegetables. Forget the plain old cooked green beans, and sprinkle them with sautéed mushrooms and onions, or sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. You can still have your regular meat, potato and veg dishes, just with more exciting vegetables.

Get inspired by these surprising ways to jazz up common veggies!

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9 Breakfast Salads Worth Waking Up For | The Health Sessions

9 Breakfast Salads Worth Waking Up For

I bet the thought of having a salad for breakfast has never crossed your mind. Especially if you’re not a big fan of eating first thing in the morning, a bowl of leafy greens and other crunchy veggies probably doesn’t sound that appealing. But breakfast salads have plenty benefits worth waking up for.

Naturally, leafy greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and disease-fighting nutrients like chlorophyll. This pigment giving plants their vibrant green colour is known for its blood-building properties and wound-healing abilities. Getting more leafy greens into your diet also supports healthy bones, reduces inflammation and protects you against heart disease and cancer. And since statistics show most of us still don’t eat enough veggies, breakfast salads are a great head-start to get those health-boosting nutrients in!

You can go sweet by adding fresh fruit to your salad or choose the full-on savory route with eggs, smoked salmon, spices or herbs. No matter if you follow the autoimmune protocol, a low-carb diet or simply enjoy a hearty meal, get inspired by these 9 breakfast salads to get you off to a flying start! 

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Cruciferous is King: 15 Wonderful Winter Cabbages Recipes | The Health Sessions

15 Wholesome Ways to Eat Winter Cabbages

Eating fresh, seasonal vegetables brings you all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need most that time of year. And during the cold months that means stocking up on winter cabbages.

The members of the brassica family pack a punch in the nutritional department. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts are rich in vitamin C, E and carotenoids, that have preventive effects on the development of degenerative diseases. What’s more, many winter cabbages contain high amounts of minerals like sulphur, folate, calcium and potassium.

Broccoli and cauliflower are staple foods in many kitchens, while kale and fermented sauerkraut have been making a comeback in recent years. But you may be less familiar cooking with red cabbage, bok choy, turnip, kohlrabi and collard greens. Or maybe you’ve been avoiding Brussels sprouts after some bad childhood memories.

But the recipes below will convince you you’re missing out. Take a look at these tasty ways to eat more members of the cabbage family this winter!

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How to Easily Get More Variation In Your Diet | The Health Sessions

7 Stress-Free Strategies to Get More Variation in Your Diet

It’s the first rule of healthy eating: eat a wide variety of foods.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDA and DHHS, 1980) advises you to consume something from all 5 major food groups: fruits and vegetables, (whole) grains, meat, poultry, fish and legumes, dairy products, and fats and sweets. You should also try to vary with ingredients within each food group.

But did you know that on average, we only eat 25 different kinds of foods in 3 days? In contrast, research suggests that our hunter-gatherer ancestors used to collect over 55 unique plants to secure food all year round. That’s a pretty big difference! But why should you want to bring more variation to your daily diet?

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Best Bowl Food: 18 Hearty & Healthy Meals in a Bowl | The Health Sessions

Best Bowl Food: 18 Hearty & Healthy Meals in a Bowl

After a tiring day, there’s nothing more comfortable than wrapping your hands around a warm bowl of food. No wonder buddha bowls have replaced a lot of standard plates over the past years.

I don’t know what makes deconstructed dishes like burrito bowls or bibimbap so cozy. Perhaps it’s the vibrant colors, perhaps the composition of all those tasty ingredients side by side. What I do know is that keeping components separately not only looks pretty, but can also be a great trick to cook family meals for picky eaters.

Bowl food often consists of a layer of whole grains, topped with greens, roasted veggies and grilled chicken or fresh tuna. Finally, the lunch and dinner bowls are sprinkled with fresh herbs and crunchy elements, like toasted nuts, sesame seeds or edamame. But you could also have a fresh smoothie bowl for breakfast, a savory brunch bowl for lunch or a healthy dessert bowl at night.

No matter the time of day or the occasion, there’s a savory or sweet food bowl for you to enjoy. Take a look at these 18 hearty and healthy meals for the best bowl food. 

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