posted by Ultimate Weight Loss Warrior on May 31
Vegetables and fruits fresh from the garden add color, flavor and essential nutrients to any meal. By planting and picking your fresh produce, you’ve already done most of the work in creating healthy meals for you and your family. But what are some of the healthiest ways to prepare your garden bounty?
One of the easiest and most nutritious ways to use fresh vegetables is to create a garden salad. Raw foods retain the maximum amount of nutrients and deliver a fresh taste. You can add lean chicken or fish to your salad for protein, and toss in some nuts or grated cheese to add zest. Remember to use low-fat or non-fat dressings for the healthiest salads.
Kids love finger foods, so why not serve raw, cut vegetables like carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, broccoli or snap peas with low-calorie dip or ranch dressing? Fresh cut fruits, melon balls or berries also make great snacks for kids and adults. Try using low-fat vanilla yogurt as a dip for your garden fruits.
Steaming is a great way to cook vegetables to maintain freshness and nutritional value. You can place your vegetables like broccoli, green beans, squash, peas, carrots or cauliflower in a steaming basket in a saucepan with water in the bottom. It only takes a few minutes of steaming to serve crisp, fresh vegetables. You can season steamed veggies with fresh cut herbs such as thyme, chives or basil and a little salt and pepper.
You can also steam vegetables in the microwave by placing them in a covered microwave safe dish with a small amount of water. Cook on high for three to five minutes. You want the vegetables to remain bright and crisp, so start with less cooking time and adjust if needed.
Roasting vegetables is a flavorful way to serve up nutritious garden produce. Cut your vegetables like summer or winter squash, red bell peppers, potatoes, onions, carrots, and eggplant. Toss them with a little olive oil, chopped garlic and some fresh chopped herbs of your choice. Place them on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees until fork-tender.
Stir-frying garden produce is a quick way to create flavorful vegetable dishes. Heat a small amount of peanut or vegetable oil in a skillet or wok. You can add ginger, garlic or other stir-fry seasoning to flavor the oil. Toss cut vegetables into the skillet and stir until cooked to the desired tenderness. There are a wide variety of commercial stir fry sauces you can add to your vegetables for additional flavor. You can also add chicken, shrimp or lean beef for a delicious one-dish meal.
Top off your meal with fresh garden fruits. Try mixing up a fruit salad dressed with a little low-fat yogurt or drizzled with honey. Fresh berries over low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt is another simple and delicious way to serve your ripe garden fruit.
Make the most of your garden produce by using these simple techniques to prepare fresh and healthy dishes for your family. You’ll be amazed at how many delicious meals you can produce from your own home garden.
Gardening can help boost your mood and your health. Gardening is also a great way to lose weight, so get out there and enjoy the outdoors. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/healthy-ways-to-cook-with-your-homegrown-produce-944548.html
