Easy Ways to Get Your 5-A-Day Part 2

Hello!! I'm back with the second part of the series I promised! 

And first on the list are brussels sprouts. People feel pretty negatively about them. But I think they've just gotten a bad rap! Poor, poor brussels. Roasting them is the perfect way to get rid of their bitter flavor and then they can be seasoned various ways or served along with scrambled eggs. Or at least that's what I do...

Aren't those just beautiful up there ^^^?!? I'll stop being weird now...Cut off the ends of the brussels, chop in half and mix with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Roast at 425 for 20 minutes or until cooked fully. Add thai sweet red chile sauce and mix thoroughly. I added 1 Tbsp to the amount shown here, but you do you.  

Vegetable numero dos: CAULIFLOWER! I know, I sound absolutely nuts. But it is so so good. Seriously. I love it roasted, in this cauliflower calzone, in stir-fry's as "rice," or steamed and covered in melty cheese <3. It's one of the best things you can put in your mouth. 

For a stir-fry, just put a head of cauliflower in the food processor and pulse for a few seconds until it reaches a rice-like consistency. Then sauté it in some sesame or olive oil and use it as you would regular rice or fried rice. I even like to do a combination of rice and cauliflower rice so that I get the staying power of the carbohydrates and the nutritional benefits of the veggie!

For the mac-n-cheese cauliflower, cut half a head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Place in a large microwavable bowl, add a few tablespoons of water, and cover with a lid and microwave until tender (7-10 minutes). Meanwhile, add 1 oz. cream cheese, 1/3 cup shredded havarti cheese, 1/2 tbsp spicy brown mustard, garlic salt, pepper, and a splash of milk in a saucepan. Once the cauliflower is steamed and the cheese mixture is melted, add the cauliflower and coat. Feel free to add more cheese if you want. I mean, can you have too much cheese in your mac-n-cheese?

Last, but not least, I have for you a fruit-filled breakfast. I discovered this oatmeal awhile back and used to eat if everyday. The whipped banana thickens up the oatmeal and also gives it a natural sweetness without needing to add any extra honey or sugar. Combine 1/2 thinly sliced banana, 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup milk, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, quickly stir to "whip" the banana into the oats. Once cooked, add ground flax seed, chopped walnuts, peanut butter, and chopped apple. See what I did there? Bananas AND apples. :-D

Hope you all have a wonderful, fruit and veggie filled day! And if not, there's always tomorrow :-)