Fool Your Food

adminFood!

April is here and warmer weather is following. Which means more produce is in season, making them fresher, more nutritious and readily available. The consumption of fruits and vegetables provide us with many nutrients essential for good health. Canada’s Food Guide recommends 7 to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables for adults. Meeting these general requirements will help meet your needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients like fibre.

Consuming the recommended servings also helps reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain kinds of cancer and osteoporosis.

Not everyone likes fruits and vegetables even if they are aware of their health benefits.  This can lead to struggles with meeting nutritional requirements. In light of April Fools Day this month we invite you to Fool your Food with Hidden Veggies! We have lots of tips and tricks to get your daily servings even if your not a fan of produce.

Challenge yourself to get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables with these tips and tricks:

  • Purée vegetables into tomato and pasta sauces.
  • Grate vegetables into burger patties.
  • Add shredded zucchini or carrots to baked goods.
  • Use applesauce instead of sugar when baking. 1 cup = 1 cup
  • Use avocado in place of mayo. Avocados contain mono saturated fat which when used in moderation can reverse insulin resistance and lower ‘bad’ cholesterol!
  • Avocado is also great as a mousse for dessert. Just whip it up with some cacao powder. Delicious!
  • Use jackfruit in your tacos in place of meat. It looks like pulled pork and tastes like whatever you put in it!
  • Shred cooked spaghetti squash and use as spaghetti.
  • Instead of butter in your cookies try using banana. 1 cup = 1 cup
  • Squeeze fresh lemon or orange juice into stir-fry sauces.
  • Crush cauliflower in a food processor and add to rice and pilaff dishes.
  • Add greens like kale or spinach to a smoothie.
  • Grate or dice veggies into omelettes, scrambles eggs, quiches.
  • Add citrus fruits or berries to water. Cucumber and mint also go nicely while adding nutrients and flavour to water.

There are so many ways to get creative when cooking, the possibilities are endless. Recipes can always be modified and who knows, maybe you’ll end up inventing something spectacular.

Have fun cooking!