The easiest way to optimise your family’s diet is by simply giving a healthy twist to their favourite meals. Seriously, you don’t need to go vegan or raw to enjoy healthy meals. By just making a few small changes in ingredients and right food combinations, you can give your meals a healthy boost.
Step 1 Healthy condiments
1.1 Replace salt with seaweed salt (see recipe below). A simple way to enrich your foods with high quality minerals, vitamins and fibre, including iron, magnesium, iodine, zinc, calcium, vitamin C and B12.
1.2 Replace table sauces and ready-made dressings with olive oil, lemon, tamari and fresh herbs.
1.3 Introduce spices dry or fresh, whole or grounded. A few essentials: cumin, turmenic, ginger, thyme, oregano, rosemary, coriander, cinnamon and cloves. Spices have antibacterial, antimicrobial properties besides providing a few good vitamins and antioxidants.
Step 2 Variety is health
The more varied the diet, the more nutrients into the body. In addition, consuming local seasonal foods supplies the kind of nutrients we need to face different seasonal challenges like more antioxidants in the Summer (Summer fruits and veg) and high vitamin C content in the Winter (cabbage and root veg). It is also cheaper and environmentally friendlier
Step 3 Veggies, veggies, veggies
Make sure to have on a daily basis, a combination of raw salads, homemade soups and smoothies. Consider veg side-dishes instead of potatoes or grains, pack in extra veggies in your stews, pies and sandwich fillings. Consume other foods that also count as veg such as garlic, onion, mushrooms, olives, beans, lentils, peas, tomato purees, humus and bean spreads.
Step 4 Homemade broths
Bone broth is highly nutritious. Chicken or beef bones boiled with vegetables and spices have traditionally been the rescue remedy for the sick, weak and pregnant women. Bones are rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc), fat-soluble vitamins, collagen and gelatin which help to heal the gut, support the immune system and repair. Members of my family get a ‘3-day broth therapy’ when recovering from a sickness. For a vegetarian version, use seaweed (kombu or wakame), vegetables and a pinch of miso.
Step 5 East vegetarian once or twice a week
There is so much choice and ideas these days.
See below one of my top nutrient-dense vegetarian recipes that will feed and please a crowd.
