One of the easiest ways to get enough fruit and vegetables is to use them as between-meal snacks. Supermarkets sell packages of baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and assortments of bite-size pieces of melon that are easy to pack along to the office or to nibble on while watching TV. You can spend a few minutes cutting up broccoli and cauliflower or else buy a small vegetable party platter from your supermarket and use it for salads and snacks all week. To wash away insecticides and other possible contaminants, thoroughly wash all precut vegetables and salad greens in water, add a few drops of dish detergent, then rinse well, before eating.
To make a good accompaniment for fresh and cooked vegetables, add fresh dill, other herbs, or garlic powder to plain yogurt.
To make salads more nourishing, use lettuces such as romaine, Boston, or Greenleaf, and include fresh spinach. Iceberg lettuce is not rich in vitamins. Real time-savers are the lettuce mixes sold by most supermarkets. Because they contain a variety of greens, both flavor and vitamin content are better. For a change of pace that's quick, toss a leafy salad with a minimum of low-calorie dressing, and add several slices of ripe pear or mango to each serving. This looks elegant and tastes delicious. And simply adding slices of fruit to salads dramatically increases their nutritive value.
A word about salad dressings: If you can wean your family from their favorite bottled dressings, it's cheaper and usually lower in fat and calories to mix a jar of your own. Do as Europeans do and toss the entire salad with just 1 or 2 tablespoons (or less) of dressing to barely coat the leaves so that the taste of the greens comes through.
Salad dressings taste better if they're made a day or two (or more) beforehand, well mixed, and stored in the refrigerator. Or mix your dressing right in the salad bowl as you start dinner preparations. Try crushing a garlic clove, then adding two parts olive oil, 1⁄4 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, one part wine or cider vinegar or lemon juice, a drizzle of honey, and pepper to taste. Letting the dressing warm up to room temperature 30 to 60 minutes before tossing it with the greens enhances its flavor.
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Comments: 3
Local farmers, several of whom grow organic produce, bring a variety of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, etc. to the market. The freshness can't be matched by any supermarket. I shop there twice per week and live on salads, heirloom tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, corn, and assorted fruits in season. The only downside is the disappointment when the farmer's market ends in late October and I have to wait until the next summer for it to start again.