Even though Halloween is coming, vegetables aren't scary.

The Questions and Comments I get all the time are......

How do I get my kids to eat more of them?

I'm tired of eating the same things all the time

How do I get them to taste good?

Why do I need them?

I've looked at what is currently recommended for daily vegetable consumption and I've seen anywhere from 3-5 servings or 2 1/2 - 3 cups total.

Do any of us really need vegetables? The answer of course is yes. In fact, our bodies need them more than fruits! That's right, you heard me!

A red bell pepper has just as much Vitamin C as an orange, and also won't spike your blood sugar. Fruits have been produced to be more "sweeter" than they used to be and even though contain natural fibers, are still dangerous to the waistline because of the high sugar content.

For anyone wanting to maintain or lose weight... Vegetables are the key. You'll want to give your body these fresh nutrients packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as well as a ton of fiber. You'll be able to piece them together with all the different proteins to truly give your body the necessary ingredients you NEED to maintain a healthy body.

(No you can't just take vitamins or pills)

Real Food = Real Results

So the key is to make them taste great and eat them all if not most of your meals.

I incorporate vegetables with my eggs for breakfast as well as all my protein meals. It's great that I can literally flush out 2 pounds of toxin consumption almost every week from all the vegetables I eat.

3 Tips for Great Vegetables:

#1. Saute or Grill them!

Get some Olive Oil for the Grill, or Coconut Oil for the pan. Coconut oil makes them taste sweeter, so kids will love them better. If you don't have dairy allergies you can do butter as well! I love asparagus on the grill and bell peppers & onions sauted. Youo can even make your own fajitas with sauted veggies! Zuchinni is fantastic sauted as well and goes great with almost any meat!!

#2. Spice it up!

How many seasonings do you have? Not counting salt and pepper, those are boring.... You should have your cupboard stocked with a variety of your favorite seasonings. If you like Mexican food, then have a fajitas or taco seasoning. If you like BBQ then you should have a BBQ flavoring. You should have a mix of Italian, spicy, salty, sweet, and savory. Give yourself plenty of options so your food never tastes all the same or that you're eating the same flavors over and over. Or, if you do, it's because you LIKE those flavors. Believe me your family will too if you spice things up with a variety. You could literally do chicken and vegetables and have them taste completely different based on your choices of spices :)

#3. Change the shape

Cook up a spaghetti squash & make some healthier pasta. Use a spirilizer with your zucchini to make yummy noodles. Dice up vegetables for a soup, cut your onions and peppers into strips for grilling. Make things a little different. How can you change up your vegetables to make them different? Same old same old is boring! No wonder you are tired of vegetables. Have you ever made your own sweet potato fries? Cut off the top and bottom and slice it up into strips then place on a cookie sheet in the oven with olive oil & bake! Top with sea salt and BAM, amazing!

Changing the shapes will allow for many different options and you can certainly add your yummy healthy oils and seasonings to top it off!

Vegetables are literally the best food in all the groups! No wonder "Kale" was the big thing for a while. Green vegetables are great sources of calcium and no you don't need dairy products for that. Get them straight from the source!

They don't have to be boring raw or in a salad. There are many yummy options!

Email me with questions or help with recipes and meal plans!

riannanmarie@hotmail.com