Congratulations to Chef Amos Prudhon, RD who was one of the winners of our National Nutrition Month Contest. Amos has great, practical ideas to help you take a bite out of a healthy lifestyle. Read his entry below:
One particular question pops up frequently among busy health-minded people: “How can I make healthier choices that fit my a busy lifestyle?”
Here are a couple tips on how to enjoy a delicious and nutritious bite in the right direction with more veggies – and help them last longer in the fridge.
Try cruciferous and root vegetables.
Use a chef’s knife, food processor, mandolin, or cheese grater to cut or shred veggies as desired and store covered in the fridge for a convenient salad bar.
Cabbage, kale, and root vegetables like carrots and beets work especially well with this method and hold up in the fridge better than most leafy greens.
If short on time, buy prepared veggies. Most grocery stores carry convenient ready-to-eat salad bar ingredients in the produce section.
Prevent soggy greens.
Extend the life of leafy greens by wrapping them with a paper towel to reduce the moisture buildup that can turn your salad kit in to compost. This method works well with head lettuce, herbs, bagged salads or clam-shell salad kits.
For best results, store the container upside down to position the towel on the bottom and catch more moisture as shown below.
Scott Allgier, a Central Processing Coordinator in Salt Lake City, recently introduced these concepts in to his eating plan. He notes the benefits of increasing his veggie intake this way:
“I feel better all around the more vegetables I eat. I worry less about weight gain, discomfort and other ailments that come along with other foods like fatty meats and foods with excess sugar and carbohydrates. Many vegetables take little or no preparation, which saves me both time and health!”
Chef Amos Prudhon, RD is a Personal Chef and Nutrition Consultant based in Park City, Utah. Amos can be reached at 435.565.1896 or amosprudhon@gmail.com. Follow him on the web at amosprudhon.com or at facebook.com/chefamosprudhonrd