Variety

[trick-r-treat]

Do you find that you have a good variety of food in your life? I have to try to find different recipes and ways to be creative.

[Green-Moo]

I made a special effort last year to try a different vegetable regularly. I discovered some that I liked, and some that I didn't. But it really broadened my choices and now I feel that although I try & eat seasonally I still eat a good variety of things.

[tater03]

I have found that I eat a lot more veggie trays. I just love fresh veggies cut up with a great dip. I have tried other ones that I don't think I would have tried before.

[nyxchik]

I am trying really hard to be creative as well, not only cooking meatless varieties of my favorites (lasagne, chili, pastas, etc). I recently dug out my Indian cookbook and found some really fabulous and interesting vegetarian dishes to try (thanks, Rudy, for reminding us of the value of world cuisine). And, other than a few spices I had to buy, the recipes had ingredients that I often have anyway (yogurt, tomatoes, snow peas, ginger, rice, cabbage, lentils, onions, etc). They just are put together in flavorful combinations that I've not cooked before. My meat-eating partner has said several times that he doesn't miss the meat at all in this kind of food.
On a side note, if you are interested in world cuisine cooking, try to find an ethnic food store to buy your supplies. I got a fabulous deal on fresh ginger, tons of spices, a zillion types of beans and fragrant basmati rice at our area Indian grocery. I think Rudy suggested this as well in his book. It was fun and entertaining just walking around the store- the other people there (who were mostly Indian) were very patient and helpful with explaining to the Irish chick what everything was :D And I got some fabulous ideas on new things to try. (They have mango puree!!! Oh, the possibilities!)
~nyx

[Nevelle]

I try to have as much variety as possible in my diet. For example, breakfast usually consists of at least three different types of fruit - all cut up and mixed, a slice of low GI seed bread or toast and a glass of milk or drinking yoghurt. Lunch consists of different varieties of salad vegetables mixed with fruit and herbs for flavour and fruit juice. Supper consists of a selection of seasonal vegetables, either raw or lightly cooked using a minimum of olive or avocado oil and no water. Herbs are again added for flavour aand sometimes I use a dash of Marmite to give the dish a "meaty" flavour. Cooked foods, I believe, should always retain some of the crispness of fresh vegetables. In this way none of the goodness is destroyed in the cooking processes. I seldom eat rice.

[Green-Moo]

Cooked foods, I believe, should always retain some of the crispness of fresh vegetables. In this way none of the goodness is destroyed in the cooking processes.


Nevelle, you are SOOOooo right! There is no better way of ruining good tasty vegetables than by overcooking them. The spinach that I used to be served at school, overboiled and ladled out with a splat, would have been enough to have put many of my class off for life I'd imagine.

[anaklio]

There are so many little things you can do. I can't tell you how many times I've "accidentally" increased the variety in my diet. That's happened because the product I thought I wanted wasn't available. Because I didn't want to waste time/fuel, I found a substitute only to find it to be a BETTER choice. Now I mix and match the two thereby avoiding "burnout".