Transcript
The good news is that there are so many healthy food options to consider. While considering cultural differences and food preferences, I wanted to give you a general list of options within each food group that can be customized based on a number of factors. For vegetables, darkened veggies, such as broccoli, kale, romaine lettuce, and spinach can be considered. Red and orange vegetables like carrots, red peppers, orange peppers, and tomatoes can be included to add color to your plate. When in doubt, make your plate as colorful as possible, so not only is flavorful, but also pleasing to the eyes. Other vegetable options include cabbage, okra, onions, and turnips. If you’re not used to preparing vegetables in your main entree, an easy way to add them is to chop vegetables into large chunks, spray lightly with oil of choice and sprinkle with salt or seasoning for a high heat about 15 minutes, or until the desired tenderness. Or air fry them, they’ll be ready by the time your entree is finished cooking. For even more convenience, some vegetables are sold washed and ready to steam in the microwave or the stove top.
You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to eat more vegetables. But what we do know is that the more plants you eat, the healthier life and our planet will be. There are so many choices for fruits and they can be so fun. Try one new plum or pear or different type of apple. Slice it up on a plate and table it with your meal. If the fruit is sliced and easy to eat, you’re more likely to eat it. And if you don’t like it, don’t worry. You’d only just bought one. Try something different the next time you go to the grocery store. And if you’re not yet comfortable slicing fruit, berries are a super easy way to eat fruit. Just wash and go. They’re also low glycemic, which means your blood sugar won’t raise as high as after you eat other fruits. As for whole grains, brown rice, oats, popcorn, quinoa, and whole grain cereals and crackers can be easy to include for a snack or in one of your main meals.