Regardless of how old you are or  which part of the world you find yourself in, if you were to describe your relationship with vegetables, you would most likely use one or more of the following adjectives: heavenly, painful, manageable, interesting, etc. Was I close? You see, growing up, i never liked vegetables. I would eat them if i had to, but never made any effort to find them. That is until i started reading and hearing people talk  about the mind-blowing benefits of vegetables.

We have all heard that vegetables are full of so many vitamins and antioxidants our bodies need to feel good. They are packed with fiber and water needed for proper digestion. Vegetables help to keep us strong and healthy. No wonder most prescription medicines are made from plants! The secret to everlasting youthfulness must be hidden in plants then. The more I read about different kinds of vegetables from different parts of the world, the more i became convinced that food can really help to cleanse the toxins that we pile into our bodies day in and day out, year in and year out, making us sick and sluggish.

The moment I discovered that vegetables actually play a crucial role in belly fat burning, I was in love! Do you know anyone who hates the possibility of getting a six pack belly from eating loads of vegetables? Personally, I don’t. Bring on the veggies! So now i had to get these vegetables past my mouth, then  straight (without tasting or smelling them of course) into my stomach for the ultimate belly fat burn right?. Ghrrrrrrrr!! How do I do this? Pay close attention because it gets very intriguing.

I began daily piling as many vegetables as I could  into a pan, sauteed them and struggled to chew on them. Sometimes I ate huge bowls of green salads for lunch. I am sure you may be able to relate.  Then I noticed that I began having stomach pains each time I ate a bowl of vegetables. So i decided to change strategy and began adding two vegetables at a time to my meals. Ah ha!  Something began working! I started feeling better, sleeping better and looking much younger than my age. But then a very important question entered my thoughts. Do I eat my vegetables sauteed or as salads  everyday for the rest of my life? I had to come up with different ways to get my greens in.

I began looking through different recipes from experts and friends on social media. Some of them I loved, some of them I absolutely despised. It has been an interesting  journey with vegetables. Today, I love vegetables so much because I have found different ways to sneak them into my meals every single day. There are so many fun ways to prepare and enjoy all kinds of vegetables. Here are five of my favorites!:

#1 SPICE IT UP! This was a winner for me. Adding healing spices like black pepper, garlic, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger root, etc. made a huge difference to my sauteed veggies and salads. Sometimes I add two of them, other times three different ones or at times just one of them. This variety kept my taste buds anticipating for more.  

#2 VEGGIE UP YOUR SANDWICH! If you decide to use a beef or chicken pattie for your sandwich, toss the bread. Use big leaves of lettuce as your wrap around it. Add more vegetables of your choice between the meat and the lettuce wrap. My all time favorite is an actual veggie burger. Yes. Don’t knock it till you try it now! I love to use kidney beans and every kind of vegetable I can get in there. These burgers taste delicious! You can find great veggie burger recipes on google. Now my next tip is one of my best. Read and see why.

#3 D.I.Y. VEGGIE DIPS AND SALAD DRESSINGS! I love salad dressings and dips. They make bland food items instantly taste yummy. A good dip or dressing can cause you to eat a big bowl of vegetables without thinking too much about how much you may not “love” it. Worse of all,  I found out that the commercial ones are loaded with artificial preservatives. Yuck! So I started finding recipes on how to make your own dips and salad dressings at home. I have made anywhere from sweet creamy dressings to light and tangy ones using basic ingredients from my refrigerator and pantry. You can even blend together some  of your vegetables for the best salad dressings you ever tasted. For more ideas, just visit Google.

#4 FREEZE IT! I almost always have some kind of green or cruciferous vegetable (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc)  in my house. Thanks to my freezer. When I shop for vegetables, I almost always immediately wash them, cut them up and freeze them. I pre-make my smoothie by freezing my veggies in little baggies. I can also saute them if i don’t  have a taste for a smoothie that morning. This process helps me save a lot of time and money. Everybody wants more time and money, so why not?

#5 TIME FOR SOUP! Who doesn’t like a warm bowl of soup on a cold day? Winter or cold months is that time of the year when we need a lot more vitamins. Take advantage of vegetables and throw as many as you can in a pot. Make it your own way. Your pot, your veggies, your spices, your way! Add your favorite spices and fish or meat of your choice. You can even add in some quinoa or brown rice to give it some bulk. Yummy!

What are some fun ways you use in your kitchen to make a part of your daily meals? Let me know in the comment section.

COACHKAY

WLS, FNS (NASM)

#MASHFIRE