Q:I know we are supposed to get a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables (mostly vegetables) year round, but how do you do that? Vegetables are not always good this time of year, and Winter squash is higher glycemic. How are we supposed to do this in the winter?
A:
Getting low glycemic vegetables in the winter can be more of a challenge, but it is not impossible. Butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash are in season this time of year, but yes they are higher glycemic. Here are some ideas for getting other veggies in Winter without spiking your blood sugar:
- Cauliflower – Fresh or frozen, this low glycemic vegetable is easy to find year-round
- Broccoli – This is so much better fresh and roasted at 400 for about 10 minutes with olive oil, salt, and pepper and sprinkled with Parmesan at the end. Buy it pre-cut for easy roasting.
- Spinach – This food can also be found year round and is great in a saute’ with garlic, added to smoothies, or raw in a salad.
- Cabbage – Buy the whole head and cut it up or get shredded cabbage in a bag. Either way, this veggie is readily available in the winter as well.
- Frozen Green Beans – Fresh are hard to find this time of year, but the frozen variety is great and has just as many vitamins.
- Peppers – These are great fresh or frozen and can be found year round. Use them raw as a dipper in hummus or guacamole, or roast them to add to eggs, top chicken, or make a soup like our ROASTED RED PEPPER CORN SOUP.
Here are some of our favorite recipes for using these versatile veggies year-round:
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH A SPICY KICK
CHOCOLATE SHAKE WITH A HEALTHY KICK
QUICK APPLE AND CABBAGE SAUTE’
SESAME SOY GREEN BEANS