Creative ways to eat vegetables this Christmas

Vegetables are an important class of food rich in nutrients, fibre and antioxidants, which boost your health and ward off disease. Incorporating them in your daily meals is usually recommended by dieticians and nutritionists because they help in weight management due to their low calorie and high fibre content.

There are so many ways to add vegetables to everyday food items and according to Bena Okiria, a nutritionist, no matter how you eat your vegetables, it is always important to cook them in a way that preserves their nutrients. Always ensure that the methods of cooking used, accessories used in the preparation are clean and should help retain the nutrients.

Sometimes, it starts with how you chop the vegetables. Okiria says vegetables chopped in big chunks become boring to eat, especially for children. Therefore, chop them in sizes and shapes that are attractive.

Mix

There is no harm in mixing vegetables, especially those that can be eaten raw. The sweet vegetables for instance, Okiria says, can be mixed with those that are bland to help add a little taste. Even in a salad, one can have a variety of vegetables to add some colour.

 “Beetroots are carrots not only add colour but also give a great taste to your vegetables because they are sweet. They make vegetables attractive even for children,” she says.

Add to eggs

If you want to reduce your meat intake, replace your meat burgers with vegetable ones. Vegetable burgers can be made by combining vegetables with eggs, nuts or nut flours, and seasonings. You can also wrap your vegetable burger in a lettuce wrap, instead of a bun.

 “Many vegetables have a great taste when added to eggs. The common additions include spinach, onions, scallions, bok choy, mushrooms, kale, French beans, bell peppers, and tomatoes,” Okiria says.

Add vegetables to guacamole

Mashing ripe avocados and sea salt together with lemon or lime juice, garlic, and additional seasoning makes guacamole. A variety of vegetables such as bell peppers, onion and tomatoes incorporated into guacamole give it a great taste. You can eat it as a topping to salads and potatoes.

Blend into smoothies

Smoothies make a refreshing breakfast or snack and are an easy way to incorporate vegetables into your meals according to Okiria. They are also a healthy way of getting nutrients into the body.

You can make a smoothie by combining fruit with ice, milk, or water in a blender. You can also add vegetables such as carrots, beetroots to smoothies without compromising the flavour.

Make purees

Pumpkin purees have lots of fibre, which works against constipation and hunger pangs. They also contain lots of zinc which is important for many enzymes and hormones in our bodies to function well. The consistency of the puree also makes it easier to digest; countering bloating and indigestion. You can also use the puree to make a soup, creamy dessert instead of butter.

You can also add doodo (amaranth), bbuga, ebo to groundnuts to help change the taste of the dish. Cabbage can give a great taste to your beans or peas; they can also be added to cereals to make vegetable rice for instance.

Flavour them

You can eat your vegetables differently this Christmas by adding fresh herbs such as parsley, mujaaja (peppermint), rosemary, ginger and other herbs that you may have at home.

How to preserve nutrients

● Lydia Pedun Aisu, a dietitian, says the rule of thumb is to avoid cutting vegetables before washing them. This will wash out all the nutrients. Rather first wash, then cut. Once cut, keep the vegetables covered. She also warns that keeping cut vegetables in the open for long causes loss of nutrients through a process called oxidation. Therefore, they should be consumed immediately after cutting.

●Softer vegetables, she says, should be cooked for a short time (five minutes or less) since over cooking causes loss of the heat sensitive vitamins such as Vitamin C.

●If you choose to eat the vegetables raw, wash them thoroughly before cutting to remove dirt and any unsafe residues such as pesticides. “Remember to add some little vinegar or lemon to get rid of any bacteria or viruses that may be found in the raw vegetables or better still have your own small garden ( kitchen or backyard) garden to have fresher and safer vegetables,” she says.

●When eating vegetables, remember to eat the different colours (dark green, orange, purple, yellow, whitish) they are all rich in different nutrients.

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