Eat Vegetables, Don’t Be one!
If you sometimes fall short on eating enough fruits and vegetables, you’re not alone. But adding color to your healthy diet can be easier with a few simple and delicious swaps.
- Wrap. Instead of tacos or burritos, try a wrap with lettuce or other greens.
- Shred. You may have had shredded zucchini or carrots in cake, but have you tried these tasty, vitamin-packed slivers in spaghetti sauce? Summer s
quash is a great alternative to pasta noodles and can substitute for potatoes in many recipes. - Mash. Use avocado’s creamy flesh to boost a recipe’s health factor with good fats, fiber, and phytonutrients. Mash 1/4 avocado with a little low-fat plain yogurt to replace mayo in a chicken or tuna salad. Try this rich, vegan chocolate pudding:
Instant Chocolate Pudding
2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup honey, plus additional as needed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Flaky sea saltScoop the avocado flesh into your blender container and then add the almond milk, cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Puree on high speed for one minute, or until a creamy consistency. Stop to scrape down the sides, as needed. Taste and add additional honey if needed – the goal is subtle sweetness to balance the richness of the cocoa and avocado.
Spoon (or pipe, using a zipper storage bag with the corner cut off) the pudding into tea cups or small ramekins. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Prior to serving, sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top.