Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Veggies Galore

I'm always looking for ways to add extra servings of veggies into my diet. I love salads, and try to eat one salad a day, chock full of fresh veggies.

Here's my recent favorite combo: (I measure my salad ingredients by hand, so the measurements are not very precise)

2 big handfuls of lettuce, I use a mix of romaine, field greens, and spinach
1 carrot, shredded
1 small handful shredded red cabbage
Half of a small red bell pepper, diced
Handful sliced mushrooms
1/4 avocado, diced
1 small tomato, diced or a handful of grape tomatoes
2-3 strawberries, sliced
1/4 cucumber sliced
Balsamic vinaigrette



I drink a smoothie for breakfast or an after workout snack at least twice a week. I have recently discovered that adding fresh spinach to my smoothie adds an incredible nutrient boost.

Spinach is a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Manganese, Folate, Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Calcium, Potassium, Tryptophan, Vitamin E, Dietary Fiber, Copper, Vitamin B1, Protein, Phosporus, Zinc, Choline, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin B3, and Selenium. Wow! That's a mouthful!

It may sound kinda gross if you haven't tried it, but you really can't taste the spinach when you mix it with berries, banana, and whatever else you like in your smoothie. Here's what I like to put in my smoothie:


1 cup milk, either fat free milk or light soy milk (depends on my mood whether I buy soy or dairy milk)
1 scoop whey protein, vanilla flavor
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen fruit (berries, peaches, mango, or whatever I'm in the mood for)
1-2 Tbl ground flax seed
1-2 cups fresh spinach (really I just grab a really big handful!)