Growing up in the 70s, I was led to believe that the peas that ended up in the TV dinner apple pie were nutritious. Same for the colorful Mexi-Corn in the can. While it took decades for me to realize that sauteed okra, red onions, and tomatoes would take corn to the next level, this wasn't enough. Enter eating my vegetables 365 days out of the year.
You may have been told that eating vegetables helps you lose weight. While this may be true, it became counterproductive for me because I was hungry AF minutes later. Especially celery and green juices that cost a pretty penny when made by reputable brands that don't use cheap fillers like bananas.
Then you have the world-famous cabbage soup, where you easily get a day's worth of veggies in a single serving. Although many recipe variations cut down the boredom, this can still get a little tired, and you've only lost half of your weight loss goal. Trust me, I've been there several times.
Growing to Love Unfried Veggies
Yes, we all know the best way to enjoy vegetables is steamed, broiled, sautéed, or roasted. And there's a fine line as to when butter or olive oil becomes unhealthy. Then there's the starch issue...do we need them or not? If not, is it because they're white (or light) in color?
Speaking of colors, that rainbow thing can get pricey if we don't switch up on canned veggies once in a while. My grandmother (RIP) told me how to look for brands with low or no sodium, but supposedly frozen is much better than canned. And it's not just fresh vegetables, but organic.
Finding the Best Recipes
Once you find a cooking method (and pan roasting is great if time is tight but sucks during the summer months) that works, there's some creativity if making an entree is your goal. Some people find success by rubbing their favorite spices on dense veggies like eggplant or sweet potatoes. Others are religious about their air fryer, but I recently learned this cool gadget comes with a few health warnings.
My latest hobby is watching keto and vegetarian cooking videos. While a lot of these recipes look incredible, sometimes the chefs can be a little condescending. It's like "Ok, I tried the lion's den mushroom burger and the filling cost me $10, but I only got two servings? Really? Okey dokey."
The Real Tea
They're trying to get me on the shot, y'all. See, I'm bottom-heavy, which is still some leftover loose skin from my first bout with endometrial cancer. Anyway, I weigh a lot more than I look, and when they start doing BMI calculations, the people in lab coats never have anything positive to say. Even getting a legit dietitian or nutritionist on board has been a challenge.
So I've been looking voraciously for realistic meals that I can eat over and over. I want to start my own garden, but this cracker box I live in doesn't leave enough room. So while I'm still doing workouts, drinking water, and avoiding most carbs (keto made my hair fall out), it's not enough. Oh yeah, and my diverticulosis acts up whenever it freaking feels like it.
If you're in the same position or have leads to share, please reach out below. I know this is supposed to be an encouraging post, but I have to keep things real as well. Groceries are going through the roof, and all these recipes calling for eggs or cottage cheese as a meatless protein replacement didn't factor in rising costs, so we can have a consistent, healthy diet.
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