Fresh fruits and vegetables are an essential part of
your eating habits. Notice that I said fresh—not highly
processed, canned, frozen, or deep-fried. Today we are fortunate to have so
many choices at the grocery store. Years ago, such fruits as bananas and
pineapples were rarities; now they’re everyday items. The advent of modern
methods of storage and transportation makes it possible for you to have fresh
fruits and veggies no matter where you live. (The next chapter explains why
fresh is better than canned or frozen, so I won’t go into it here.)
Your body needs the wonderful micronutrients in this
fresh produce, as well as the fiber it provides. Your body will thrive on a
variety of fresh produce. Fruits and veggies are carbohydrates, so balance them
with a protein.
I advocate
the use of organic produce whenever it is possible—if for no
other reason than that it lasts longer when stored in the fridge. I discovered
that once when I went on vacation and forgot to clean out the fridge the
morning I departed. I expected to find a big mess when I returned ten days
later, but, much to my surprise, the organic veggies I had left in the crisper
were still fresh. Again and again, I have found this to be consistently true of
organic produce, though whether it’s due to different handling and shipping or
to the fact that it is organically grown, I can’t say. I can say that if you routinely throw out produce that goes bad
before you can use it, the savings can be big.
That, right there, is enough reason to buy organic—especially today,
when the advent of chain health-food stores has helped bring prices down, and
most traditional supermarkets carry at least some organic produce. If you think
organic costs more, you’re not shopping in the right store.
I totally support organic farmers who treat the land
with the respect it deserves. Organic farming is good for your health, good for
the farms that feed this country, and good for the planet. Organic foods
contain fewer toxins such as pesticides, and offer more nutritional value.
Now, you may need to know how to shop for vegetables,
so let’s spend some time on that. First of all, skip the canned and frozen
section and go straight to the fresh produce. Scan that section of the store
and note how many different colors there are. When you shop, pick a variety of
colors. Each color family contains it's own special nutritional value.
There are two kinds of veggies: those you’ll serve
raw, and those that are better served cooked. A salad is a great way to eat raw
veggies. For a complete meal, serve salad (a carbohydrate) with chicken or fish
(a protein). Choose one or more greens—I like the hydroponic lettuce with roots still
attached, and the organic spring-salad mix. Romaine lettuce has more nutrients
than iceberg, and spinach makes a wonderful salad base. Next add a few other
items, such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and radishes—all of which, of
course, can be eaten raw. Don’t forget the salad dressing. Most stores carry
several brands of dressings without sugars, preservatives, or artificial
anything. You’ll find these dressings refrigerated, usually near the produce
section. (Just for fun, read the labels of the non-refrigerated dressings. Can
you find one without sugar?)
Salads are
just as easy—the veggies
are already clean, so all you have to do is cut off what you need. Variations
can include fresh herbs, cheese, croutons, avocado, olives, pickles, nuts, or
sunflower seeds. Salmon, tuna, crab, shrimp, and chicken all go well in a
salad, and can make a salad a meal rather than a mere side dish.
Now let’s look at the veggies you’ll be cooking.
Lightly steamed veggies (directions below) with fish or chicken is a healthy
meal. Start with a veggie you like—I use
broccoli as a centerpiece for most of my steamed dishes. Pick just two or three
other items to go with it, such as mushrooms, potatoes, squash, bell peppers,
or whatever you like. Green beans and snow peas are great, and so is
cauliflower. If you take home six or seven veggies to cook, you can have a
variety of meals by mixing and matching them, and using different spices.
While
you’re in the produce section, buy some fruit, at least one type for each day.
It’s best to buy fruit when it’s in season and at it's freshest; in the summer,
berries, melons, and stone fruits such as peaches, plums, and cherries; in the
fall, apples, pears, and grapes. Exotic fruits from around the world are as
close as your store, so try something new. When was the last time you had a
mango or kiwi? A sweet pineapple? Again, choose a variety of colors, and enjoy.
Here’s the
secret of my success at adding fresh veggies to my diet: When you get home from
shopping, put all your other groceries away first. Then put all the vegetables
in the sink. If they have roots, stems, or leaves that you won’t be using in
cooking, remove those now. Wash all your vegetables. It will just take a few minutes, and will
save you lots of time when you’re hungry and trying to get a meal together. Put
all the veggies you plan to eat raw in one place—preferably a crisper or veggie storage container—and all the
veggies you plan to cook in another. When you’re ready to make a meal, pull out
the container of clean veggies and just cut off what you need. How quick and
easy is that?
Next, you should know how to cook veggies—this, too,
can be easy and quick. Spray a cast-iron skillet with canola oil or olive oil and
heat on medium. Add your veggies and stir them around, then carefully pour in
enough water to just cover the bottom of the skillet. Cover with a lid and let
steam for several minutes. Watch that it does not go dry. Remove from heat.
When ready to eat, your veggies should be slightly crispy and still brightly
colored. One pan, no fuss, no muss, and just a few minutes’ time. The pan
cleans with just a rinse (unless you burned the food) and a wipe with a towel.
Add whatever seasonings you enjoy. I like to use hot
and spicy Cajun seasonings, or Italian with garlic and basil. Be creative—veggies
don’t have to be boring. Add butter and lemon, pepper, or sour cream and
chives. Use French country seasonings, or use a veggie broth to steam with
rather than water. The possibilities are endless.
For a basic and very good vegetable soup, put your
stir-fried veggies in a pan and add water and veggie bouillon cubes. Heat just
to warm the broth, add spices, and you have a very fast, satisfying soup. Serve
with a protein such as chicken or fish.
Salads are just as easy —the veggies are already clean, so all you have
to do is cut off what you need. Variations can include fresh herbs, cheese,
croutons, avocado, olives, pickles, nuts, or sunflower seeds. Salmon, tuna,
crab, shrimp, and chicken all go well in a salad, and can make a salad a meal
rather than a mere side dish.
Adding fresh vegetables to your daily diet is
an extremely healthy habit to get into. Fresh veggies add nutrients, fiber, and
water to your diet. They are a healthy source of carbohydrates, and have few
calories. Congratulations—by adding fresh veggies to your diet, you’ve made true
progress in becoming a healthier person.
Further Reading
The Color
Code, by James A. Joseph, Ph.D., Daniel A. Nadeau, M.D., and Anne
Underwood
Diet For a
Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappe
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