To Be Honest…
I’m going to be up front with you about this from the start. Changing your diet isn’t easy. It requires some forethought and planning before meals, but the effort is so worth it in the end. That’s what I’m going to dive into today: a few simple recipes and foods for incorporating more vegetables into your meals.
Maybe you already eat vegetables and just want some more ideas, maybe you want to slowly transition to a veggie diet, or maybe you love meat and just want to know how to incorporate more health along with what you already eat. Great! These are all valid, and hopefully the following recipes can help.
Food #1: Zucchini
I hated zucchini as a kid. It was slimy and gross looking, and usually it was useless on the side of whatever the main entrée was. I never thought it would become one of my favorite vegetables, and I later realized I hated it because of the way it was prepared.
There are plenty of ways to season it and cook it properly so it never gets slimy or mushy. How? Well, one of my favorite cooking words: sautéing. Slice it up, put it in a pan with some olive oil, throw in some garlic, salt, pepper, or whatever seasoning you prefer, and it becomes a low-calorie, quite filling, and delicious main or side dish.
Before I cut out meat, I ate sautéed zucchini a few times a week mixed in with onions and some chicken apple sausage slices. This was one of my go-to meals when I first started exercising because it made me feel full and energized at the same time. It fed my stomach, and my soul, which I touched on in last week’s post.
If you’re interested in a delicious, beginner recipe for sautéed zucchini, check out “Makinze Gore’s Garlic-Parm Zucchini Sauté”. You can follow her recipe exactly, or take parts of it and add your own twist. You could add rice, your favorite meat, pasta, or any of your favorites Of course, let me know if you end up trying it!
Food #2: Mushrooms
Am I mentioning all the foods you hate? Well, eating more veggies means eating more veggies. Stick with me for a minute.
I’ve always been a huge fan of mushrooms, all kinds, in basically any dish. I understand if they aren’t for you, but I have to ask if you’ve ever tried roasted, portobello mushrooms, typically called portobello steaks…
I tried these when I first transitioned to a vegetarian diet, and they caught me by surprise because of the flavor and how filling they are. They don’t take very long to roast in the oven, only about 25-30 minutes, and you can pair them with just about anything. I put them in a baking pan along with some orange and yellow bell pepper slices. Then, I season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and black pepper. Once they’re done, I add a side of rice, and that’s my meal. With this, you can also add your favorite meat, other veggie dishes, or pasta. Make it your own, whatever that means for you.
If you’re interested in specific instructions, and a creative sauce, check out Minimalist Baker’s “Portobello Steaks with Avocado Chimichurri”.
Food #3: Sweet Potatoes and Yams
Now, here is another food I used to despise as a kid. Before I go any further, you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you about all the foods I used to hate? Okay, I’ll explain.
First of all, I don’t hate them anymore. I love them.
Second of all, I want you to realize that changing your diet requires more than just planning. It requires trying foods in different ways and finding what you like. Personally, my palette changed as I got older, which helped me learn to eat some of these foods that used to repulse me.
Third of all, and most importantly, a vegetarian diet restricts many foods and food options that people are accustomed to eating on a regular basis. Therefore, new foods need to be introduced in order to have a fully nutritious diet.
Alright, back to sweet potatoes. Fill a non-stick pan with a good amount of olive oil, turn the heat to medium, slice the sweet potato or yam into pieces about 0.5 inches thick, and sauté them until they’re soft in the middle (as well as a bit charred on the edges.
I can’t stress enough that this has become one of my biggest comfort foods, and like the others, it’s extremely filling, especially when accompanied with other veggies or rice.
If you’re interested in some better guidelines, check out Jolinda Hackett’s “Sauteed Sweet Potatoes”.
Now What?
If you can’t already tell, I don’t follow recipes exactly. However, it’s completely fine if that’s what you want to do. For me, it’s easiest to learn about the recipe, and then personalize it with seasonings that I like and/or sides that pair the best based on my preferences.
I challenge you to do this as well. Try a new recipe, or a new food. Maybe you didn’t like something when someone else made it, but you want to see if you can do better. That’s amazing! I encourage you to do it. If you still don’t like it, that’s fine too. Move on to something else. Don’t dwell on foods that don’t work for you. Find meals that make you happy and feel good after eating them. You’ll thank yourself later!
More From Me:
If you didn’t see last week’s post, and are interested in how to start exercising after a long time, check out: Feed Your Soul, Not Just Your Stomach
Next week I’ll be talking about some inexpensive options for when the wallet is a bit tight. Whether you’re a broke college student (like me), struggling to pay the bills due to COVID-19, have a family to think about, and/or any other reason, my upcoming post is for you. Have a great week everyone!
Thanks for reading. I appreciate you 🙂
References:
Agbanlog, L. (2017, July 22). Sautéed Portobello Mushrooms with Butter Sauce. Salu Salo Recipes. https://salu-salo.com/sauteed-portobello-mushroom-butter-sauce/
Chang, T. S. (2012, August, 29). Zucchini You Actually Can’t Resist. NPR: Kitchen Window. https://www.npr.org/2012/08/28/160125138/zucchini-you-actually-cant-resist
Foster, K. (2019, June 8). What’s the Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes?. Kitchn. https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-yams-and-sweet-potatoes-word-of-mouth-211176
Gore, M. (2020, February 19). Garlic-Parm Zucchini Sauté. Delish. https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a28091519/sauteed-zucchini-recipe/
Hackett, J. (2020, July 27). Sautéed Sweet Potatoes. The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/sauteed-sweet-potatoes-3377775
Minimalist Baker. (n.d.) Portobello Steaks with Avocado Chimichurri. https://minimalistbaker.com/portobello-steaks-avocado-chimichurri/