Thanks to Mariateresa Oneto for sharing this wonderful video by Mindful Schools. Want to learn more about Mindfulness at KiMS? Join us Sept. 26th at our next committee meeting.

Awakening Kindness and Curiosity at School

September 3, 2017

4 Ways to Sneak Veggies Into Your Day

If you're like most people, you might believe that eating healthy requires a lot of work.  From planning out meals to grocery shopping to buying quality ingredients – it can seem like a mass effort sometimes.  That’s not to say the effort’s not worth it -- but a big effort that sometimes seems easier to simply avoid, right?

We all know that eating the right foods, especially vegetables, is essential to better health. But what if you're not a huge fan of shopping, chopping, and prepping?  As it usually goes, the things that are the best at keeping us healthy and nourished aren't always the easiest path to take.  It takes some practice and trial and error to find your sweet spot for infusing health into your day on a daily basis – and one great place to start is finding some simple ways to add more veggies into your day. 

Here are my 4 favorite ways that you can add veggies into your day...

1. Use Veggies to Kick Off Your Day

Vegetables are not just for lunch and dinner.  Kick off every morning with veggies on your plate.  Throw a handful of kale into your morning smoothie or use last night's leftover veggies to whip up an omelet.  There are numerous ways to add veggies to your morning meal, and getting them in early means you’re well on your way to eating your daily servings of veggies by dinner time. 

2. Go for Frozen

Fresh veggies are typically the better option, but chopping and preparing vegetables from scratch isn't always practical for many of us.  So, stock up on frozen veggies on your next supermarket run.  Freezing vegetables is considered minimal processing, as many of the veggies will still retain a lot of their nutritional value.  Having frozen vegetables on hand at all times leaves you no room for excuses when you’re in a time pinch.

3. Double Up

When you're preparing salads, soups, pasta sauce, or a healthy casserole, double the amount of vegetables that the recipe calls for.   Stir extra veggies into your soups or put an extra portion into your sauce.  You’ll only enhance the flavor and nutritional value, so it’s a win-win!

4. Join the Meatless Monday Movement

If you’re a meat eater, have you started going meatless on Mondays yet?  This is an excellent way to get more veggies onto your plate every week, and it's simple.  Just cut out meat on Mondays and dedicate your plate to more fruits and vegetables.  If Monday is not convenient, pick another day that works for you.  Not only will you be lowering your grocery bill and getting more nutrients by eating more veggies, but you're also trying something new, and variety is the spice of life!

Vegetables are a fabulous source of many beneficial nutrients for your body.  When you cut back on processed foods and "sneak" more vegetables into your day - you're making better choices that set you up for a lifetime of healthy habits.

So, what are a few ideas that have sparked?  What’s on the plate next week for Meatless Monday?  We would love to hear your ideas and let us know what you plan on cooking up!

Provided as information only by KiMS Wellness Committee

TAKING THE MEH OUT OF VEGGIES

Research links diets rich in vegetables with a lower risk for heart disease, but The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that most Americans eat less than half the amount of recommended vegetable servings.

Meals packed with produce can help you lower the risk for heart disease, lose weight and add more fiber, nutrients and antioxidants in your diet. If you're finding it difficult to get your daily servings of vegetables, try these two simple cooking methods that make eating more vegetables easy and delicious.

Steaming is one way to prepare simple, clean-tasting vegetables without salt, oil, or seasoning. It is especially helpful to get to know how vegetables taste in their most simple, pure form. Steaming takes about 5-10 minutes for green leafy vegetables, and 10-25 minutes for root veggies. All you need is a steaming basket and a pot with a lid filled with about two inches of water.

Steamers come in a variety of forms. The stainless steel, fold-up variety fits inside of a pot to keep the vegetables above water. Some pots are specifically made with holes in the bottom for steaming over another pot of water.

• Wash the vegetables.
• Chop. The smaller the size, the faster they will cook.
• Bring water to a boil.
• Cover the pot, and steam vegetables in the steaming basket over the water for several minutes until they become bright in color
• Taste, and decide if it is cooked enough for you. Cook longer, if you prefer.
• Be sure to take the vegetables out of the pot, and splash cool water over them, or they will continue to cook and lose color.
• These can be applied to all vegetables that you wish to use for steaming:
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil or toasted sesame oil to every 2 cups of greens
• Add 2 bay leaves or 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to the water
• Sprinkle greens with toasted pumpkin, sesame, flax, or sunflower seeds, almonds, or walnuts
• Sprinkle greens with fresh herbs, such as mint, dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, or scallions
• Use tamari, soy sauce, or umeboshi vinegar to add extra flavor
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice over them
• After steaming them, quickly stir-fry in olive oil with a pinch of sea salt and garlic

Blanching, or quick boiling, is another way to prepare vegetables quickly and "cleanly”.

Blanching helps to quickly break down the fiber of raw vegetables, more than steaming does, which aids digestion. Blanching vegetables also removes the raw flavor and

brightens up their color.

• Bring water to a boil.
• Add a pinch of salt
• Wash and chop the vegetables
• Drop the vegetables into the water and lower the heat
• Cook until they become bright
• If you prefer softer vegetables, let them cook longer
• When finished, rinse the vegetables in cool water to stop the cooking process

REMEMBER, FOR BOTH STEAMING AND BLANCHING: Different vegetables take different amounts of time to cook. Harder vegetables, like roots, take the longest. Green leafy vegetables, such as collards and bok choy, take less time.

Any vegetables can be steamed or blanched. These two cooking methods are especially good when you want to "get to know" a new vegetable by tasting its essential flavor.

You can serve steamed or blanched vegetables plain, with a dressing, or with a wedge of lemon. Try adding roasted nuts or seeds as a topping or some freshly ground pepper.

Experiment with different combinations of vegetables. Pay attention to colors, textures, and flavors!

Let us know how it turns out!

In health,

KiMS Wellness Committee