Variety is important, and too much of a good thing is, well… too much. This is especially relevant when we are choosing what to eat.
I am guilty of latching onto a dish that I love and then repeatedly eating it, way too often. In order to get the assortment of nutrients our bodies need, we have to mix things up more.
Making seasonal food choices is a good way to go because it not only saves money but makes it easier to get more variety into our diets. That said, if spinach is the only green you use in your smoothie, you may be getting too many oxalates while missing out on nutrients that kale, arugula, collard greens, or other veggies offer.
The point is to have different kinds of foods and rotate them. Include a variety of legumes, grains, and all the other kinds of veggies in your meal planning. Don’t forget about condiments, herbs, and spices.
Easy Tips for Adding Healthy Nutrients to Your Meals
The more plants you eat, the better because they are rich in phytonutrients. The key is to make it easy by having these ingredients readily available so you’ll remember to eat them. These little extras add so much flavor to your meals too.
- Finely chop up green onions, broccoli, cilantro, and parsley and have them ready and visible in your refrigerator so you can easily sprinkle them on your prepared food.
- Make up little jars of sesame seeds or nutritional yeast or sunflower seeds that you can grab and toss on your food.
- Chop up fresh herbs like basil, oregano, sage, and thyme and throw these in your salad or stew.
- Try a baked sweet potato with a dab of kefir, green onions, and chia seeds. Or perhaps you’re in the mood for a teaspoon of coconut oil, cinnamon, and cardamom instead.
- If you prefer a regular potato, you could try using a teaspoon of flax oil with a bit of tamari, fresh minced ginger, and salt and pepper, instead of the usual butter.
- Create a variety of purees and sauces to spice up your diet. A mushroom gravy and different kinds of pesto or bean hummus can take something boring and make it really delicious.
We want to find ways to make veggies more interesting and add some other superfoods to our plates. Let your creative Goddess play in the kitchen and make food prep fun!
To your unique Gorgeously Healthy way,
Gay