There is increasing awareness of the importance of incorporating as many plant-based foods as possible on a daily basis. It is not a trend, it is, above all, health. If you want to know how to get it easily, keep reading.
We see how in the world of vegetables both prices and gastronomic value do not stop rising. Who knows if by Christmas 2030 people will be pining for greens? Time will tell…”. This reflection is not made by a nutritionist, but by a chef as renowned as Albert Adrià when he launches his new book Vegetables in full color (Ed. RBA).
It is clear that the trend to eat more vegetables is an increasingly widespread demand in society . Both for a health issue, as a line, or because of the awareness that the planet must be taken care of.
HOW DO WE DO IT TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF VEGETABLES?
Enjoying with it! As Adria says, making them sigh to eat it. And we are not only talking about fruit and vegetables, but also legumes, tofu, the new “veggie meats”… Write down the ideas that come next because we are going to make even the little ones in the house enjoy eating healthier.
Now that spring is just around the corner, a fresh gazpacho goes well to start any meal, even for a snack between meals. Don’t get bored and version it to get a different shot of vitamins and antioxidants each time. You can do it with watermelon, cherries, strawberries, mint and basil, avocado… There are a thousand recipes! And not only gazpacho, we can also dip into salmorejos and ajoblancos. The idea is to shred and enjoy.
An easy way to provide a plus of vegetables is to add a topping mincemeat with the same vegetables (and fruits) . Or if you want to reinforce the protein part of the menu, you can add chopped nuts, which is vegetable protein.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EATING MORE VEGETABLES?
- Against constipation. It’s not just fruit and vegetables, foods that contain plant-based proteins (legumes, nuts…) also have a lot of fiber, which helps fight constipation.
- Less blood sugar. For the same reason, to provide more fiber, they also lower blood glucose, which both prevents diabetes and helps fight hunger and snacking.
- Improves cholesterol. That vegetable foods displace those of animal origin also helps to improve cholesterol values, and that helps you prevent cardiovascular diseases.
- Younger. Vegetable foods produce less oxidative stress and help lose weight, so they keep us younger than what our DNI says.
DO YOUR FLAKES LACK CRUNCH? AIM…
If you find it difficult to have a veggie breakfast because you think that “healthy” breakfast cereals lack that crunchiness of ultra-processed ones, this recipe will change your mind.
Mix oat flakes (100 g) with chopped dates (25 g), coconut flakes (20 g), nuts (50 g) and sunflower seeds (50 g), 1 beaten egg white and, according to your taste, cinnamon , nutmeg, ginger powder, lemon and/or orange zest. Bake 30 minutes at 180º. And if you want a plus, coarsely grate carrot, mix it with orange juice and bake for 15 minutes at 190º. Add to the previous mixture and continue with the initial recipe.
VEGGIE-ONLY TOAST IDEAS, AND SO YUMMY!
The key for a veggie toast to seduce you is to be able to spread it with a healthy fat and look for a topping that gives a contrast of flavor.
For example:
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- With peanut butter. Spread the toast with this cream and put an acid-flavored fruit such as a strawberry or kiwi on top for contrast.
- With avocado. Crush the pulp with a few drops of lemon and Tabasco if you want a spicy touch, and add diced tomato and onion on top.
- With avocado sweet version. Mix the avocado with fat-reduced cocoa powder and cinnamon, and top with a chopped date and toasted almonds.
- With banana. Crush it and mix it with cinnamon or vanilla and grate dark chocolate on top or accompany it with berries.
- with mushrooms Sauté the mushrooms and coarsely shred them with walnuts. Spread this pate on toast and top with roasted bell pepper or other roasted vegetables.
- with tahini You can accompany it only with a trickle of honey. Ummm…
CARPACCIO, NOT JUST BEEF OR COD
You can make vegetable carpaccios with mushrooms, zucchini, beetroot, tomato… You just have to cut the vegetables very finely with the help of a mandolin. If you want to change the Parmesan topping of the carpaccio, you can opt for a black or green olive sauce.
DO YOU DIP? THIS IS THE MOST VEGGIE WAY TO DO IT
In addition to the traditional hummus or guacamole, you can also dip aubergine hummus (babaganoush), or a pate of peppers (mutabal) or mushrooms and walnuts, etc.
For the least greengrocers, mixtures with yogurt or cheese also make them dip as if there were no tomorrow . Combinations? Greek yogurt and cucumber or avocado, or all three together and scrambled. And also feta cheese with roasted pepper.
Veggies don’t live on nachos alone, on the contrary, to dip a real veggie, turn to vegetable crudités: carrot sticks, celery, colored peppers…
“CAMOUFLAGE” A LOT OF VEGETABLES
Everyone likes pasta, and the ravioli can be filled with a vegetable and a cheese (eggplant and mozzarella, spinach and cottage cheese, roasted pumpkin and ricotta), and replace the typical meat ones. Even if you make the typical meat lasagna, you can greatly increase the amount of vegetables by adding a layer of braised spinach. Or instead of stewing the meat with tomato, do it with ratatouille. In addition, in the pasta sauce there are also many vegetables camouflaged next to the tomato, especially carrot or pumpkin, which add sweetness.
YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THESE BURGERS
The idea is to mix legumes and/or cereals with vegetables to make vegan burgers . For example, from chickpeas, quinoa and mushrooms; or beans and roasted peppers; or lentils, brown rice and carrots, to give three examples.
Present it as the meat one, with its toasted bun bread , its slices of tomato, pickle, lettuce and the sauce that you like the most. And if you add onion rings, it may not be the lightest plus veggie, but veggie it is.
INSTEAD OF CHEESE, GRATIN WITH THIS…
Nutritional yeast –not to be confused with beer yeast– is the ideal substitute for gratin cheese. You can add it as is or you can also grind it together with some cashews and garlic and onion powder or more spices to your liking (oregano, basil…).
You can add it as is or you can also grind it together with some cashews and garlic and onion powder or more spices to your liking (oregano, basil…). This yeast is very rich in protein and has neither fat nor carbohydrates, so you can add protein to salads, vegetable creams, shakes, veggie burgers, etc.
THERE ARE MORE STEWS THAN THE ONES YOUR GRANDMOTHER USED TO MAKE
We will not be the ones to deny grandma’s kitchen, because her vegetable stews are pure traditional wisdom on how to take plant-based protein, but… there is more and they allow us to vary better. One idea is to alternate these traditional stews with vegetable curries made only with vegetables or with tofu, legumes, etc. To eliminate the chorizo from your grandmother’s recipe, add only paprika, which leaves the flavor but not the fat.
NO, TOFU IS NOT BLAND IF YOU KNOW HOW TO “SPICE IT UP”
Tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you accompany it with, so in stews you have the problem solved. But if you are going to use it as if it were cheese, you have two options, either buy a tofu that has already been flavored (there are fine herbs and even mango) or make a marinade and submerge it for a few hours so that it takes on flavor .
