Part of National Nutrition Month 2012
As a busy college student living off-campus, it can be really challenging to prepare meals that meet MyPlate’s guiding criteria. While I can easily fulfill the fruit/grain/dairy/protein suggestions, I struggle with vegetables. Let’s face it, vegetables can be bland. They require washing and chopping. They create dirty dishes. They often rot in the refrigerator if not quickly used.
But, the cost of preparing vegetables is far outweighed by the benefits of eating them. Veggies are nutrient dense, meaning that for the small amount of Calories they contain, they are filled with a large amount of nutrients needed by the body. Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber are just a few examples of these nutrients. Potassium helps to regulate blood pressure. Vitamin A promotes eye health. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to quench damaging free radicals. Fiber helps to maintain proper bowel function.
So, if you face similar difficulties in getting enough veggies, I have a few tips. Don’t make it so hard for yourself! If a recipe calls for fresh chopped vegetables, try to get a similar frozen variety. For example, I swapped out fresh yellow pepper and onion for a bag of frozen pre-chopped red, green, and yellow bell peppers with onion in the chicken curry pictured above. Not only did I save myself time and money, but I also increased the variety of my veggies! Make them a snack during the week by taking baggies of baby carrots, snow peas, or celery sticks to munch on between classes. Keep veggies interesting by mixing them in with your main dish (like in a stir fry), adding spices and flavorings, or topping with nuts like slivered almonds.
Simple steps, like these, can transform how you eat. Do you have more ideas? Comment below, I’d love to hear them!
References
USDA. (n.d.). ChooseMyPlate.gov. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/vegetables-why.html
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