Enlist Your Dad in your Healthy Army with Veggie Weapons

When Dads Eat Veggies, Kids Follow Suit

Tina, eat your brinjals! Peter, eat these pineapples! Parents are fed up repeating these kinds of dialogues to their beloved children. Instead of just shouting commands, it would be great if the parent eats the vegetables and fruits along with his/her kids to lead by example. This helps you to reap the benefits of eating produce and makes you a star dad! Dads are the superheroes for most kids and they are likely to follow anything which their dads do. Read more on being the perfect role model to your children and reaping its benefits at www.firsteatright.com. Given here are some guidelines for men who would like to use the veggies in the best possible way.

Energy Boosters

It takes ample energy to become a great dad - be it playing a game of basketball during the weekends or getting your children ready to school in no time. Sweet potatoes and potatoes should be on your meal plate to replenish you with energy and give a carb boost. Sweet potatoes have higher vitamin A content than white potatoes. These can be mashed or baked like French fries, after cutting them into thin strips.

Sharpen your Brains

Fill your plate with colorful veggies such as broccoli, beans, carrots and corn, that are high in soluble fiber, for a healthy heart and a smart brain. These even help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Every Veggie Has its Share of Nutrient Benefits

A healthy dad makes his kids happy. Dads feel totally responsible for their kids and start taking precautionary steps against health issues such as heart disease or diabetes. Low in calories and high in fiber, all vegetables are good for heart disease and diabetes prevention. Being good sources of vitamins and nutrients, vegetables contain water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamin and folate that can be destroyed when exposed to air, water or heat. To prevent such things:

•  Always use minimal water possible to cook vegetables, just enough to prevent the pan from scorching.
• Microwave, steam or stir-fry veggies rather than boiling them to reduce their over exposure to heat.
•          Keep produce inside a refrigerator to preserve vitamins.

      Munch on some broccoli, beets, asparagus and sweet potatoes for enriched antioxidant potentials or yellow bell peppers and chopped broccoli for vitamin C requirements. One cup of yellow bell peppers or chopped broccoli exceeds your daily minimum requirements of the vitamin.

What is the Requirement Quotient?

Even dads don’t fulfill their daily veggie requirements of 3 cups. Make vegetable consumption a fun-filled process by experimenting on various vegetables and using different preparation methods. Add roasted bell peppers and sautéed mushrooms as burger toppings or sandwich fillings. It is easy to consume at least ½ cup of vegetables as fillings inside sandwiches. Use raw spinach to pump up the vitamin content or use steamed cauliflower to macaroni and cheese for a tasty twist.

There is No Replacement to Whole Foods

Don’t assume multivitamins to be replacements for your whole foods and vegetables. Important phytonutrients (such as antioxidants) and fiber are two irreplaceable components of vegetables that can never be substituted with a pill. Moreover, grilled corn and capsicum taste yummy with some avocado spread.