Typically when people are planning their evening meal, when doing the shopping or on the way home from work the focus primarily begins with the protein, usually meat and the tendency is to build around this. There is of course absolutely nothing wrong with this, but how about we stop and take a moment to change our mind set around meal planning and embrace vegetables as alternative to meat every now and then.
When meal planning I like to celebrate vegetables as the star of the meal rather than a ‘side dish’. I am motivated to do this for not only for the great taste but for the health benefits as vegetables are super high in antioxidants which protect against disease, they are high in fibre vital for detoxification and are energy light to protect against weight gain and associated illnesses. Meal inspiration usually comes from what is in season, Aldi’s super six offers, or whatever takes my fancy at the farmer’s market a.k.a my happy place.
The key to maximising exposure to an array of nutrients is to eat a wide variety of vegetables aiming for three servings a day. What’s really important when choosing vegetables is to consider their quality; buying locally and in season when possible avoids exposure to pesticides and herbicides. I find the ‘dirty dozen / clean fifteen’ list helpful to know where to invest my time and money into organic produce.
Not all vegetables are created equal and it is the dark green varieties which really pack a punch in the nutrient department with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, fibre and chlorophyll (think green!) which has been shown to promote wound healing and counteract inflammation and infection. The vegetables I am talking about are spinach, swiss card, kale, pak choi, mustard greens, broccoli, asparagus, sprouts, courgette and dark leafy lettuces. Get creative by stirring greens into casseroles, frittatas and pasta dishes, adding to your pizza and tossing a handful through a breakfast smoothie.
It is my experience that people are often motivated to experiment with new vegetables and vegetarian dishes but lack the knowledge and confidence to prepare them to make a meal. Why not give ‘flexitarianism’ a whirl and aim for a veggie inspired meal one night a week and stretch to one veggie lunch too!
Check out some of my recipes and see what you think!
Mary. x
