EAT YOUR VEG

Sometimes we get too focused on promoting an individual vitamin or vegetable as a key source of good health. 

In reality, all vegetables have something nutritious to offer. Vegetables are a great dependable friend, who mix well with others (other vegetables, fruits, sauces, proteins, and carb sources). Eating a diet of diverse colours covers most of the vitamin and mineral requirements for supporting our immune system, digestion and overall health.

Here are our Crafted Balance Tips to keep diversity in your vegetables:

DR. MADELEINE: Strand yourself with a salad.

This is my number one tip to keep myself accountable to eating my veggies. Often I don’t want to, but I make sure I pack a lunch and take it (which usually consists of a salad and either salmon or chicken on top). Having this as my only source of lunch I am forced to eat it or deal with food waste and spending money on a lunch! Sometimes you have to be your own parent and remind yourself you brought lunch. Currently with at home routines, making your lunch ahead of time in the fridge can help force your hand in having to eat the lunch you made. 

DR. FIONA: Sneaky spinach

I find the easiest way to get some greens in is throwing a handful of spinach or kale into everything I make. Smoothie? Add some spinach. Stirfry? Add some spinach. Sauces are the easiest because greens wilt away to almost nothing (so you can add more!). Greens are such an easy vegetable to add to your meals and are so dense in healthful nutrients.

OTHER TIPS:

Trying a new vegetable every week is a fun way to get creative in the kitchen. Participating in recipe exchanges online and with family and friends (we love allrecipes.com and ohsheglows), meal prepping so things do not go to waste (roast your broccoli all at once so it’s ready for the week), and supporting local farmers markets by purchasing a local produce box (Evergreen brickworks is doing pick up produce box in place of their farmers market this spring, Mama Earth Organics offers great produce boxes and so does Fresh City Farms), Sorry I’ve Got Plants offers local meal kits making it easy to add more veggies to your days - we even sometimes add that extra handful of spinach!

If you want to learn more about ways to support your individual health check out our online booking for a 15 minute complimentary discovery call where we can discuss how naturopathic medicine can best support you