Nutrition question

Liesje

cakana

DH and I both love broccoli more than most other veggies. I just read that one cup of cooked broccoli has 205% of the daily requirement for Vit C and over 100% of the Vit A requirement. I like it with either wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar on it.  I don't like the stalks either, but the dogs sure do

 

How do you prepare it?  I've heard that boiling takes away the nutritional value, and I don't have a steamer.  I actually like the stalks better than the "trees", but like all veggies, I only like it mushy. 

I have a steamer basket, but I find that it turns out just as well if I steam it in the microwave and takes a lot less time. I just cut it all up, put it in a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle a little water on it (doesn't have to be much at all), cover it with plastic wrap and cook it for anywhere from 6-8 min's. DH likes it mushier than I do, so 8 min's works for him.  You can also buy it frozen and basically do the same thing.

 OK, so as long as I don't boil it, it's still nutritious?  Now I'll just have to think of something to put on it to make it edible!

 You can also disguise tons of veggies in things like Spaghetti sauce or homemade soups.  Just throw them in the blender or food processor before hand and then toss them in the sauce.  You can add carrots, brocolli, asparagus, celery, green beans, cauliflower, spinach, arugala, etc etc.  If you like a nice garlicky tomato sauce like I do, you won't even know its there.

I also make a veggie soup with a tomato base in my crockpot.  I use 2 or 3 big cans of crushed tomatoes, then add as many veggies as I have in my fridge.  Tomatoes have a very powerful taste compared to most veggies so you taste that the most.  But the taste varies from time to time depending on what I've added for veggies.  Add some garlic, salt and pepper and any other spice you feel like having and you've got supper ready when you get home from work.  I serve it with bacon bits, sour cream or ricotta cheese, croutons, and shredded cheddar.  

Either of these adds 3 or 4 servings of veggies a day easy.

Also, like Badrap said, varying and upping the intensity of your workout is the only way to get over that plateau.  I'd look into interval training if I were you.  Do your warm up, then speed up to as fast as you can and sustain that for 5 minutes, then slow down to a comfortable speed, go backwards for 3 minutes, then go fast again for another 5.  The idea is to change your heart rate as much as possible.  Also using as many different muscle groups as possible is useful.  So do a few minutes with no arms, then focus all of your energy on your arms and let your legs follow.   

I haven't read through this whole thread just in case I touch on something you already mentioned. 

I have a sauce that I have used for years that is really tasty on veggies.

 You put a glob of fat free mayo in a bowl.  Add some rice wine vinegar and mix until it is a consistency you like (until it is not so lumpy since it is FF mayo).  Then you add mustard to it.  I usually add 1 part mustard to three parts mayo.  (I don't like mayo usually but the mustard makes it not taste like mayo)  You may need to add more vinegar to get it to a good consistency again and mix.  I dip brocolli in this but have also been known to dip aspargus and other green veggies.

I eat some raw veggies but mostly cooked.  Assuming you don't boil all the nutrients out into the water, they are still very healthy for you cooked and there are many ways to make them without adding extra calories...like steaming them.  I like to bake asparagus and instead of olive using olive oil, I spray it with pam.  When I make green beans, I usually saute them up in a skillet and use some chicken broth instead of oil and season with some low sodium soy sauce and red pepper and a couple sprays of pam and cover it and basically let them steam too. 

 I also often add veggies to things I am making already.  Like I add spinach to spagetti...or sometimes aquash and zuchini.  I make an awesome chicken veggie soup that everyone loves that is a great way to get them in.  I can tell you how I make it if you are interested. 

Yeah tell me how to make the soup!  I don't really cook every day, no time and we don't have the right appliances or the space.  I make one thing and then eat it for two weeks straight. 

Just wanted to make one comment about the "numbers".  You probably already know this, but I'll just put it out here.  I wouldn't focus too much on losing a certain # of pounds.  The reason I'm saying this is because you're working out...so therefor building muscles....which are going to weigh more.  So could it be that you're still burning off fat, but the scale isn't going down b/c you're added muscles?  I think I would look more at how you look then what the scales says.  Maybe the scale still says a number you don't like, but if you get the flat tummy you're looking for, does it really matter?

 I also don't like a lot of veggies, but love spinach. I probably eat a bag a day prepared this way:

 1. Wash half a bag of spinach (or whole bag if DH wants some)

2. put 1/2 TSP EVOO and 1 TSP lemon juice in a pan on medium high heat

3. Add spinach and cook it slightly so it's wilted (not totally cooked) and eat

Not sure you'd like that, since I skipped to the end of the thread, but it takes no time at all to make.