Sneaking in Those Superfoods
Superfoods are all the rage, and why shouldn’t they be? Packing a powerful punch against cholesterol , cancer, heart disease, and even depression, they’re cheaper than drugs and doctors and help with other things, too—you know, like getting your hair to grow and providing the makings for dinner. Like super heroes, they can possibly save your life—and unlike them, they’re really real.
But not everybody loves beans and spinach. Most would even admit that green tea is an acquired taste. So how do we get ourselves to stomach the stuff we don’t like—let alone get our kids to—for the sake of health? You could try mind over matter—that can work. However, there may be an easier, more un-up-chuckable way. Here are a few easy tips and tricks to sneak in those superfoods into your family’s diet.
Green Tea: If trying it both iced and hot, or sweetened and unsweetened, doesn’t work for you, try mixing in some of your favorite fruit juice, or add some to a smoothie. Green tea can also be made into ice cubes to be added to your favorite beverage.
Soy: If you don’t like soybeans, you are in luck: soy can be added to just about anything. Using tofu as a food substitute for anything from eggs to ravioli will do the trick, but if you don’t like the taste, simply substitute soy milk for all of your milk needs. While it might be noticeable in your cereal, it won’t be in your general cooking use.
Spinach: Most people who don’t like spinach don’t like it cooked. Problem solved: just toss some raw spinach in with your salad. Under the dressing, it’ll be just like the lettuce.
Tomatoes: If it’s tomato texture that turns your teeth away, try mashing up your own sauce for noodles or ketchup from some fresh tomatoes.
Yogurt: Hate the sweet-sour taste of yogurt? Try mixing it up with some raisins, granola, fruit chunks, and honey for a nutrient-packed parfait. Not enough to mask the taste? Whip up a smoothie with some plain yogurt and your favorite fruits, and add in something really tangy like orange or pomegranate juice and you’ll have a cool summer treat that’s not to puckersome.
Turkey: Vegetarians may argue that they don’t need turkey, and they are right; you can live without it. But if you want to eat turkey and don’t have the taste for Thanksgiving’s most popular guest, have you ever thought of frying it, grilling it with some fruit, or shaving it into slivers for your salad?
Beans: Nobody ever said you had to eat “the musical fruit” all by itself. Pair them up with some savory rice for a complete protein, or mix them in with a soup for a hearty, filling taste. Brew it long enough and you probably won’t even taste them.
Salmon: There isn’t much to mask the strong taste and smell of salmon. But since salmon’s main attraction is its Omega-3s, if you hate the fish you’re in luck. Substitute other foods rich in Omega-3s, such as flaxseed sprinkled on your salad or in your oatmeal, and you’re pretty much set. You can also take it as a capsule.
