I had an interesting conversation with a new client a few weeks ago. As I do in all initial consultations, I asked about her dieting history, both in terms of what helped her lose weight & what hindrances she might have faced in the past. Prior attempts to weight loss included:
- Eliminating carbs from her diet
- Eating one meal a day
- Replacing meals with juices
In other words, she associated weight loss with deprivation. With quick-fix diets that promote various kinds of restriction (e.g. food groups on calories) constantly sprouting up, unfortunately healthy eating has morphed into being some kind of punishment. Rather than focus on foods that need to be removed from one’s diet, healthy living needs to be viewed in a more positive light i.e. an opportunity to adopt new habits that are sustainable. While fostering a more positive approach to one’s diet can certainly boost one’s morale & consistency, adding in healthy habits will also gradually crowd out the less healthy choices so that they occur less frequently.
Rather than drastic overhauls, it’s the small changes that add up to huge results in the long run. From drinking an extra litre of water to working out more & switching to whole grains, the options are endless. One of my favorites is to eat more veggies. Containing a number of vitamins, minerals & so many other nutrients, even eating an extra serving of veggies daily can boost the nutrition of one’s overall diet. It’s no wonder that despite their fundamental differences, both Vegan & Paleo diets promote the consumption of veggies. However with dishes like mushy Brussels sprouts & wilted lettuce, it’s no wonder so many people still shudder at the mention of veggies. Between pairing raw veggies with a delicious dip like Red Pepper Hummus, roasting them to enhance their overall flavor or even just sautéing them with a drizzle of olive oil & balsamic vinegar, there’s no longer a reason for veggies to taste bland.
Lately my personal favorite way to eat my veggies has been in the form of a Peanut Stir Fry. You guys, I could this every day for the rest of my life and die happy. It’s literally pan-licking delicious…not that I would know or anything ;). If you’re allergic to peanuts, rest assured that this tastes equally delish with almond butter instead. For a gluten-free alternative, liquid aminos would work fine in place of the soy sauce.
[yumprint-recipe id=’8′]What’s your favourite way to eat more veggies?
What healthy habit have you recently added into your life?
Oh this looks delicious! I do a veggie stir fry about once a week, I’m going to have to try using coconut milk and peanut butter! Broccoli and mushrooms are my jam- sometimes ill get crazy and use green beans or brussels sprouts. And YES- its the little changes- deprivation only leads to starvin like marvin, and then eating ALL the food!
Ooh veggies simmered in coconut milk is too delicious…I think that’s tomorrow’s dinner sorted (at least part of it)!
I couldn’t agree with you more – besides, in my case, deprivation tends to end in over consumption!
I heart veggies to infinity and beyond – my favorite way is to saute them up with onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric – they haven’t caused me to lick the pan though! So I definitely try your way – one tbsp PB and lime juice sounds like a winning combo all on its own!
While it might not do us any favours in the breath department, you can’t go wrong with the delicious flavours that sautéed onion & garlic impart :)!
I feel sprry for people who think healthy living means deprivation! There’s so much healthy goodnes out there.
And this is no exception, I love the idea to add peanut butter to the sauce.
I usually love huge salads where I add in tons of different veggies, either cooked or raw. Other than that I am all for oven roasted veggies, or grilled – so good!
Agreed- roasting can make just about any veggie taste delicious!!
Great post as always, Khushboo! I totally agree that it’s interesting that adding more veggies can make a world of difference – and that despite their often being so opposed to each other, vegan and Paleo followers actually do share quite a lot in common their veggie-centric goals!
Thanks so much Jen! At least there’s one thing that vegan & meat-lovers can agree on ;)!
I remember when my head used to be in peanut butter jars like ostriches stick their heads in the ground! LOL!
Sounds like me right now ;)!
I was really surprised to find when I first tried Pad thai, that peanut butter can be used in cooking savoury meals. I was shocked and stoked at the same time!
Peanut butter can do no wrong 😉
I have almost exactly this recipe posted but with sunflower seed butter – it’s awesome!
And I totally agree with what you said about making small changes. That’s what I always say when counselling clients as well. Too many big changes at once is too overwhelming!
Ooh I am going to check out your recipe for some variation :)!
PB sauce is my favorite! Another great combo is PB, OJ, and soy sauce! Now I’m craving stir-fry!
Love the idea of adding OJ to a stir fry…good thinking, P!
I could eat this every day for the rest of my life and die as well… but… I’d actually be doing it literally 😆 I DO love the idea of adding a nut butter to stir fried veggies though — I’ve done it with sunflower seed butter before and it’s AMAZING.
Hahah keep far, far away from the PB, my friend! Nut butter can make just about anything taste delish :)!
I love making a peanut butter sauce for stir fries- especially eaten cold!
Snap!
OK, this is getting freaky. I read blogs while I eat lunch… last time you were talking about coconut rice while I was eating coconut rice, and guess what I’m eating right now!? Peanut stir fry!! I used a packet sauce (I swear I’m not usually so lazy – I’m just all about convenience at the moment) but it is basically the same recipe. You are psychic!
Clearly we got some telepathy going awnnn ;)!
This is my almost-always order when I eat Asian food. Peanut sauce cannot be beat. I love how simple this is. You really don’t need to add a lot with these flavors!
Agreed- peanut sauce alone is so flavourful :)!
I love cold sesame noodles in peanut sauce. I like to add grated carrots and sliced cucumber to the dish as well!
Mmm same here- great way to add more volume and nutrients :)!
Great minds think alike indeed! I love your use of peanut sauce. I keep meaning to try it and somehow never get there. I need to change that, and this recipe will allow me to make it happen. Thanks Khushboo.
Ooh amazing- let me know how you like it, Meghan! I’m all for the nuts ha ha ha ;)!
Aw I love peanut butter on everything – what an awesome way to make veggies more appealing!!
You & me both, my friend 🙂