Four ways to eat your veggies and some delicious recipes.

1. Eat them raw

You can always grab a carrot and start chomping away or pop grape tomatoes into your mouth like candy.

But sometimes that gets a little boring. To dress up your raw veggies try the following.

Add them to Super Shakes

A few weeks ago we introduced the concept of the Super Shake and gave you a few tasty recipes. If you haven’t been doing it already, try throwing a handful of spinach or kale into your shake the next time you break out the blender.

This is a great way to get a full serving or two of veggies without even thinking about it.

Toss it in, hit “blend”, drink up, and smile knowing you’re taking care of your veggie needs.

Make an awesome salad

Forget the bland iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots you’ve been served at Applebee’s. Instead, take some pride in your salad and get creative.

Follow these steps for the perfect side salad.

1.Pick a “soft” leaf like butterhead lettuce, spinach, or mixed greens.

2.Pick a “crunchy” leaf like romaine lettuce or radicchio.

3.Pick a fresh herb like basil, dill, or parsley, coriander.

4.Pick a “topping” like sliced cucumber, tomato, carrots, celery, or bell pepper.

5.Pick a light dressing like olive oil (or lemon-flavored fish oil) and balsamic vinaigrette.

Chop it all up. Throw it together. Voilá!

2. Eat them steamed

This is another simple and quick method.

All you need is a big pot of water and a steamer basket or a colander that will fit inside. Fill the pot with enough water so that it just barely reaches the bottom of the colander or steamer basket.

To steam your veggies, bring the water to a boil, add your vegetables, and place a loose-fitting lid on top to cover. (If your lid is more fitted over the colander, position it so that one side hangs over the colander just enough to let the steam escape.)

How long should you steam for? Well, it depends on the vegetable.

• Broccoli: ~ 5 minutes

• Brussels sprouts: ~ 10 minutes

• Carrots: ~ 8 minutes (if sliced into ¼” thick pieces)

• Cauliflower: ~ 6–7 minutes

• Green beans: ~ 5 minutes

• Peas: ~ 3 minutes

• Zucchini: ~ 7 minutes

Tip: Try undercooking veggies slightly. You can always pop them back in to boil.

After steaming, try tossing your veg with a little olive oil plus a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Or, if you’re feeling rather daring, try some hot sauce or red pepper flakes.

3. Eat them grilled

Grilled veggies complement any meat dish perfectly and can even be a part of a delicious shish kabab with chicken, beef, or pork.

Brush them with the sauce of your choice, or a little olive oil. Sprinkle some salt or squeeze some lemon, and toss them on the grill or into the oven.

One of our favorite meals is the beef skewer recipe found in our Gourmet Nutrition cookbook. It’s the perfect blend of protein and delicious veggies.

4. Add them to soups and stews

Sometimes you just gotta take a bunch of ingredients, throw them in a pot, and see what happens.

Creating a healthy, tasty soup or stew is easy, especially with a slow cooker. And if you’re not the greatest chef, a soup or stew is one way to flex your culinary skills. It’s just too simple to screw up!

The Sunday Ritual and food prep

Remember the corollary of Berardi’s First Law:

Make healthy food easy, convenient, and available.

Thus, try washing and cutting up some veggies in advance during your weekend off (or whenever you do your food prep). Or make a big pot of vegetable soup and refrigerate or freeze for later.

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