Veggie Challenge!

Wow, can you believe it is December? I had the best of intentions to be on top of things for the holidays and here I am way behind. Well, time to get organized! It has been a super exciting month and I cannot wait to share it with you. I have been working on a big project and it is finally ready to share. Journey to Wellness is partnering with Bend Boot Camp to build a formalized nutrition program. We are working to get everything ready to launch January 1 . . just in time for a new year, new you program! So, keep your eyes peeled for our launch.

The challenge for all the Bend Boot Campers this month is to add veggies, veggies and more veggies! There are so many reasons to add veggies to your diet…weight loss, health, digestion, overall well being, etc! This is the perfect month for a challenge like this because we are all going to holiday gatherings where healthy is just not the focus. I want to extend this challenge to all of you. This week add 1 veggie to your diet, next week 2 veggies, week 3 is 3 veggies and the last week is 4+ veggies. I know . . this can be tough but with some planning and a little effort, you can make it happen. Plus, it will help you to feel better through the holiday craziness.

We all know about the basics . . .carrots (add some hummus..yumm!), celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, peppers, etc. My challenge this month is to help you be creative and add those veggies . . which means I am adding them too! Tonight I am going to throw out a couple of ideas for you. First, Acorn Squash. Above is a picture of our Thanksgiving squash. I used the recipe from Against All Grain Thanksgiving. Tonight I made it very similarly. Cut the squash into slices as you see below. Use a baking sheet and spread out in single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, fresh sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes turning each one over at the 15 minute mark. You can eat it plain or add to the soup below! Acorn squash is full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and more. Technically it is a fruit since it has seeds but I am going to let it qualify for a new veggie.

The second veggie I want everyone to consider is a blend. Trader joe's calls it Power to the Greens. Last week we found the above bag at Costco! It is a blend of Spinach, Chard and Kale. This is truly a superfood. The more of this you can get in your body, the better. These are just absolutely fantastic greens for you. I STUFF my blender full of them when making my green protein shake. It is a great way to get a lot of veggies without even tasting them. Tonight I made a turkey soup. I know, the thought of another turkey meal is less than appealing but this was good, healthy and light! I cooked the turkey carcass yesterday with various spices (marjoram, basil, thyme, beau monde). Today I strained out all he fat and bones. After cooling the fat is solid and easy to remove. I put the strained liquid in a big pot and started dumping! I literally cleaned out my fridge . .. celery, carrots, cauliflower, a sweet potato, handfuls of the power greens, and turkey. Let it simmer until the veggies are tender. My daughter put the acorn squash in her soup. My husband added Sriracha sauce (a staple for him :) ). I almost never use salt and did need to add some to this. I love that I needed to actually. Shows how little sodium was in this meal. This was an incredibly healthy dinner and everyone in my family inhaled it. After a couple of major cheat meals over the weekend (think sharing multiple desserts the other night .. .but it was so good!), I needed to cleanse my body a bit today and feel so much better! Everyone I talked with said the over did it with Thanksgiving meals. Veggies are the best way to regroup and re-energize.

So, who is going to take on the challenge? What will be your new veggie of choice this week? Share your ideas in the comments or on our Journey to Wellness Facebook page. While you are there, give us a quick "Like"! I will keep brainstorming fantastic veggie ideas to share and I can't wait to hear from you as we all Journey to Wellness together!