“I forget”, “is that for work as much as outside and so there is no way” or “I do not know how to cook them, they are very boring” are three of the most common excuses – although there are many others – to skip the consumption recommendations of fruit and vegetables, which should be 50% of our total daily intake according to the Harvard dish (supplemented with 25% whole grains and another 25% healthy protein).
Thinking of all the forgetful, habitual users of menus of the day, regular chefs and other wayward sheep, we have asked for help from dietitians-nutritionists and some other professional of things to eat to give us simple ideas with which to increase the consumption of vegetables . If after reading it you continue taking less fruit and vegetables than you should, it will not be because we have not tried.
Always carry easy-to-eat vegetables
Tangerines, bananas, apples, pears, apricots, some cherries … any of these options is perfect to kill the mid-morning or mid-afternoon bug. If you have them on hand when hunger squeezes, you will not have to look for anything other than to put it in your mouth – which will surely be less healthy as well – and you will eat them with pleasure.
If what you fancy in those moments is something salty, get one of those small cakes or jars that have a compartment for sauces. Put cucumber, pepper, carrot or zucchini sticks in one and hummus or something to dip or spread in the other and you have the pecking ready. Carlos Ríos , at the head of the Realfooding movement and author of the book Eat real food (Planet of books) ensures that “dried fruit can also be a good option to always carry on top”, and it is also especially good combined with nuts.
Put the freezer to good use
You will have heard a thousand times that it is for losers and that since there is nothing fresh, but there is some old man in that idea: deep-frozen vegetables are just as healthy, they have improved greatly in recent years in terms of texture and flavor, and they have an important advantage for those who go on their ass for life: they are ready to consume. Our senior Commissioner, Mikel López Iturriaga, it is very clear. “You have them in the fridge and at any time they can be used to make dishes as fast as they are effective. You do not believe it? Thaw a small bag of artichokes, crush them, add Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and use this sauce for some spaghetti. Or pour some good quality frozen peas in boiling water with lots of salt, and when it boils, drain them. Sauté them with a little butter, chopped mint and a little jerky or ham. Or saute a chopped onion, add any frozen vegetables, sauté, soak with broth, boil a few minutes until everything is soft and crush: X cream in record time. ” The boss assures you that if you don’t say it, nobody will come with the “isti ni is virdiri frisqui” scroll.
The dietitian-nutritionist and collaborator of this house Raquel Bernácer proposes to use the freezer at another time during the process. “Creams and mashed vegetables are another way to eat greener. I prepare huge pots that I then freeze in portions. So I take a taper at night and the next day I just have to boil it and go. ” Can you listen to the guru and the professional at the same time? Of course: a deep-frozen and subsequently cooked vegetable as part of a dish can be frozen again without problem. The boil that Bernácer proposes is used for solids and liquids to mix again and frolic instead of each one going by their side, and it is especially necessary if there is a potato in the formula.
