[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Did you know that every consumer most of the time shops in food stores in the same direction of the aisles? Always the same starting point, the same arrival point and almost the same stages. And in the consumer shopping cart, you almost always find the same ingredients, the same products.
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
This observation is one thing, and once made, it allows us to understand why we tend to often eat the same dishes, often cooked in the same way. This phenomenon is not surprising since our brain and our functioning are made like this: there is an unconscious search for ease, and a quick settling into routine, even if the latter sometimes seems heavy. As if the repetition sometimes bores us, but the routine is ultimately more comfortable.
Consequently, it is not surprising to hear people in the office say that “there is not much choice of vegetables », “that we quickly go around in circles in winter once we get out of the soups”, “that in summer, apart from the tomatoes and zucchini we quickly go around”.
While there is such a diversity of tastes, textures, shapes, colors, sizes, associations. Why deprive yourself of it, nature offers it to us.
Just open your eyes and arouse your curiosity
If this is weighing on you, if you feel like you’re running out of ideas about how to cook vegetables, then here are some ideas to explore.
First of all, at a time when awareness of the importance of preserving the planet takes on its full meaning, it may be wise to review the way you buy vegetables: find out about AMAPs, about the different pickings which now often even offer drives, knowing the frequency of markets and the origin of the products… In order to respect both the seasons, and also to promote proximity. This risks putting you face to face with vegetables whose color you have, if not heard the name, never seen: rutabaga, delicata zucchini, golden ball turnips, chard, chayote… You can just as easily decide to buy unknown vegetables when you go to the store: be curious, like a child who wants to discover, that’s what makes you change! At worst you’ll be disappointed, at best you’ll love it.
Then, a simple tip…: internet! With the simple word “recipe” and the name of your vegetable, you will find a plethora of solutions. Especially since by searching for “light recipe”, you do not risk coming across proposals that are too abundant in fat.
And play with his senses
Finally, have you ever thought about eating a normally cooked vegetable raw? And vice versa ? To eat a vegetable grated, often sliced? Or to discover new seasonings? Vegetables can be steamed, braised, roasted, wok-cooked, pureed, made into hot or cold soup…
For the record, I see myself at a friend’s house who doesn’t cook much. And the day I came, wanting to please me, she cooked me turnips marinated in harissa: the ONLY vegetable that I thought I didn’t like… I remembered that tastes change, evolve, mature… And this vegetable mysterious that I had avoided for several years turned out to be fabulously good!
I invite you to discover these turnips, eggplants with chermoula, tchoutchouka, celery with apples, herb salads, raw beets, just fried spinach, pickled vegetables… Have fun. Change your seasonings: vinaigrette, soy sauce, lemon, tomato juice, mirin sauce, yogurt sauce, soy cream, oriental spices, Asian marinades…
Frame yourself
Nothing is simpler than making a decision, and letting old habits return. So, try to make a list: search the internet for a list of ALL vegetables according to the seasons, just to discover all the variety available to us without us really looking at it. And then look for new ways of doing things, prioritizing novelty, what will shake you up, excite your taste buds, surprise your palate, make your eyes sparkle, break your routines, and go for what seems doubtful to you: it’s often where wonders are hidden. Come back to your beliefs, your certainties, your bad canteen memories.
Gold mines
I invite you to treat yourself while doing yourself good: vegetables provide minerals, vitamins, fiber and many antioxidants that are very beneficial for our health. They are also very low in calories.
Eaten raw, you will benefit more from their vitamins. Eaten cooked, they will provide you with fibers softened by cooking which allow good transit.
They are an asset in the fight against diabetes, against cholesterol, against all cardiovascular diseases, against overweight and obesity. Their antioxidant effects are also very interesting in the prevention of cancer.
Remember to choose them of the best possible quality, and if possible to buy and consume them as close as possible to their picking. This is why buying organic vegetables is a great option, but you still need to consume them very quickly (2-3 days) so that certain elements of maturation above ground do not develop and neutralize or even pervert them. protective elements. However, you can cook them quickly and keep them for 1 or 2 more days.
There is no more…
To please you, to discover, for taste and health, figure and palate. Diversifying your diet to balance it sometimes takes time. On the other hand, once you have discovered new vegetables, new ways of cooking them, then you will have new culinary tools at your disposal, and just as many reasons to easily cook healthy and pleasant foods, as well as new habits. and a new, much richer routine.