Give Meatless A Try: Learn To Eat More Vegetables

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

The USDA recommends five to nine servings per day of vegetables and fruits, and that doesn't include French fries. Many people don't grow out of their childhood habit of hating vegetables, but summer is a perfect time to try and make those valuable veggies taste great. Farmers' markets are in full swing and carry the tastiest varieties of produce, so pick some up and start experimenting. Many people don't like vegetables because they buy them at the grocery store, where the long process of harvesting, shipping and then sitting at the store has leached flavor out of them. Try eating the babies - baby carrots (the ones with the greens still attached, not the small version of larger carrots bagged up in the store), artichokes, squashes and turnips are more tender and flavorful than their grown-up counterparts. Fat is fabulous for livening up veggies' flavor -- try a sprinkle of an infused oil, butter or cheese.

And dipping veggies keeps the fat count lower than pouring it on. If you want to include cruciferous veggies - - and all their fabulous health benefits - try blanching. Steam them for 60 seconds, then plunge into a cold-water bath to stop the cooking and prevent bitter flavors they tend to develop. If you tend to eat a lot of sweets, then include sweet vegetables, like sweet potatoes, squash and peas, to indulge your sweet tooth. And if all else fails, fry thin slices of hardy veggies like carrots, zucchini and squash. Even parsnips can be delicious when fried. Shave them thin with a knife or mandolin, dunk them in hot vegetable oil quickly, drain and sprinkle with kosher salt. Find a way to enjoy veggies and reap their health benefits.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Cheesy Vegetable Stuffed Eggplant

(Adapted from Chef Meg of SparkPeople)

Ingredients:

• 2 small eggplants *
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1⁄2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup low-sodium petite diced canned

• tomatoes (or 4 plum [Roma] tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, and 
diced)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Prepare a baking pan

with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Trim the stems from the eggplant, and cut

them in half lengthwise. Cut the pulp from the

center of each half, leaving about 1⁄2-inch shell

of flesh.

3. Cube the eggplant pulp into 1⁄2-inch pieces.

Place a large sauté pan over moderate heat,

then add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the

onion, garlic, zucchini, black pepper, and the

cubed eggplant. Cook, stirring until very tender,

about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce,

tomatoes, thyme, and basil; and heat through.

4. Lightly spray the cut edges of the eggplant

with nonstick cooking spray, then spoon one quarter

of the vegetable mixture into each shell.

Top each eggplant with one-fourth of the Monterey

Jack and Parmesan.

5. Place the stuffed eggplants in the prepared

baking pan and bake until the eggplant is hot

and the cheese is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

* Use small eggplants of about 1⁄2 pound

each if you can. The larger the eggplant, the

more bitter it will be. The small, thin Japanese

eggplants would also work well here.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Motivator:
Get Up and Go

10,000 steps a day (roughly 5 miles and 500 calories)—this is what the Surgeon General recommends all healthy adults accomplish on an average day. The good news is that you can generate these steps through regular daily activities in addition to an exercise routine. However, given the current activity level of most Americans, it’s a very lofty goal. The average sedentary individual walks only 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day (www.thewalkingsite.com). Therefore, instead of thinking about 10,000 steps, consider increasing your daily activity level and the number of steps you take.

Those who spend most of the day behind a desk may be able to add extra steps with a little advanced planning. In addition to taking the stairs, parking in the back of the parking lot, and walking to your coworkers’ offices, consider forming a walking group with your colleagues. Not only will this give you an opportunity to get out and exercise, it also will give you the chance to get to know your coworkers in a non-work environment. Another plus is that you can keep each other accountable for the daily walks. There is no excuse when you have others waiting for you. Groups could meet before work, at lunchtime, or right after work and walk different routes around your office.

Getting in 10,000 steps a day will take a bit of work on your part, but by just making the effort to walk more, you will be able to reach that goal in no time.

Have a great week everyone and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

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"Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants"

~ Michael Pollan ~