Food Kuel Category Expert: Janet Neustedter
Roasting vegetables is easy. The combinations are endless, and a great meal prep strategy to keep healthy at your fingertips! I usually roast a big tray of vegetables every week. For me, it’s the best way to have veggies on hand!
Then I can use those for a frittata, a salad, to have as a side with eggs for breakfast, throw in a soup… the uses are endless.
Another good advantage of having roasted vegetables ready is the immune fighting properties that vegetables inherently possess. Every vegetable that has a different color has a different chemical make up that help us to stay healthy. Isn’t that absolutely wonderful! It is a gift that was made just for us!
Phytonutrients are the natural compounds in plants that provide the antioxidants that in turn fight off oxidative stress (an imbalance in your body). These days, with Covid-19 on everybody’s mind, and vaccines around the corner… a natural vaccine is to eat as many vegetables as you can, with as wide a variety of color, daily.
Eat All The Colors:
“So remember that color equals immune fighting”
Are you a monotone color eater? Meaning, do you have (for example) green beans with dinner? Awesome, keep that up – but what if you sautéed some onion, carrots and mushrooms in addition to the green beans? You just added four colors into the dish! And – if you buy organic carrots you can find the purple carrot. It is spectacular with a yellow-orange center. So beautiful and bonus colors!
So remember that color equals immune fighting. That way every time you have a bite you will feel so powerful knowing it is way more than a side of veggies!
Best Way To Have Veggies On Hand:
Stove Top Preparation:
There are many ways to prep vegetables to have a large amount at the ready. As in the above example, on the stove, sauté some aromatics first, like a half an onion. Add in the vegetables of choice, and cook on medium high for approximately 20 minutes, or until desired consistency.
Oven Preparation:
“I also like to add fresh rosemary, basil or thyme.”
For oven prep, line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Dump loads of veggies on top, again, variety is key. Cauliflower, broccoli, squash, onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, carrots, green beans… whatever looks interesting at the grocery store. Go for the root vegetables such as parsnip, turnip and rutabagas. Drizzle about a quarter cup of olive oil on top (or less depending on how much you are cooking) and some sea salt and pepper. I also like to add fresh rosemary, basil or thyme. Mix to incorporate the oil and spices, and roast for 30 minutes, stirring once in between.
Your body will thank you, and you will have a container of veggies to add to different meals throughout the week!
Here is to your health,
About the Author:
Janet is a restaurant trained chef, who has always had a healthy cooking interest. After being exposed to the term Functional Medicine, Janet became energized with the connection of food being medicine and food potentially being harmful (in the case of allergies). That connection inspired her to become certified in Functional Medicine Health Coaching. Functional Medicine is about identifying and addressing the root cause of diseases. Food is often a part of that link. People with stomach “issues” may just need a simple adjustment in the food they eat to have less pain. People trying to lose weight can do it without 100 burpees or running marathons. As a certified Functional Medicine coach, she helps clients identify what foods can help meet specific health goals. You can learn more about Janet on her site – Here4You.
