Best Raw Vegetables to Add to Meals

Leslie Benson

best-raw-vegetables-add-to-mealsRaw veggies are a part of any good balanced diet. Rich in nutrients and high in fiber, raw veggies contain building blocks of health and wellness that can't be had in any other kind of food. However, many of us don't eat enough raw veggies, preferring instead cooked veggies (which may lose nutrient quality,) or meat- and carbohydrate-heavy meals that don't feature any raw veggies at all. Here are some of the best ways to get raw veggies back into your diet.

Smoothies

Smoothies are made for raw veggies, particularly greens. Of course, smoothies also love fruit, but that's a given. Squash, zucchini, kale, spinach, and sweet potatoes all play well with many smoothie recipes. A high-quality blender will turn any of these into a smooth, drinkable beverage in no time, and drinking them as a smoothie instead of juicing them will retain all of the fiber that can help boost your immune system in important ways. You can also add raw vegetable supplements to smoothies to help maximize their potential benefit. To that end, we recommend Vibrant Health's Green Vibrance Plant-Based Superfood Powder, which can be added to many smoothie recipes for great taste and nutrition.

Fresh Tomato Salsas and Salads

"Tomatoes are fruits!" "No! They're vegetables!" We don't want to wade into this argument. Instead, we'll take the excuse to point out that tomatoes are one of the tastiest and most versatile plants out there, even in their raw form. A raw tomato salad, featuring nothing but fresh cut heirloom tomatoes, salt, and pepper is one of the best-tasting things on Earth. Fresh salsa made from tomatoes, charred onions, and garlic, as well a smoked chile of your choice is one of the great ways to enjoy raw tomatoes, particularly when they're in season.

Broccoli Slaw

Some people like cooked broccoli and some people don't. Eating the vegetable raw retains its texture without any of the sulfurous smells and tastes that brassicas are known for. Perhaps the best way to enjoy raw broccoli is as a slaw. Just pull out the old mandoline slicer and protective gear for your hands, and cut that crispy broccoli to ribbons. You can add nuts, dried berries, and other crisp veggies, then top the lot with lemon juice, your choice of oil, salt, and a sweetener of choice. The result is filled with raw nutrition and is the very essence of summertime. Toss in a couple of spoonfuls of Premier Research Labs's Greens Powder Greens Formula, and you'll double the nutrition without affecting the delectable taste or texture.

Raw Kale Salads

A raw kale salad is another versatile brassica dish that plays by similar rules to the slaw recipe above. First thing first, cut out the hard stems from your kale and render the leaves into small pieces roughly the size of dimes. Add nuts, dried fruit, apples, fresh fruit, or whatever sounds good; then add salt, sweet, acid, and oil, massaging the mix aggressively into the leaves. Leave in the refrigerator for half an hour. The result is something truly delicious that can go with nearly any meal. Of course, if the above still doesn't result in enough raw veggies for you, you can still take Amazing Grass's Green Superfood Capsules to meet your needs. However, taking them in combination with the tips you've learned above is the best and tastiest solution.
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About the Author

Leslie Benson

A Midwest-raised journalist and content marketing specialist living in Nashville, Tennessee, Leslie has been a natural health advocate for over 10 years. She is the Senior Content Marketing Manager of Renew Wellness Brands, which is the parent company of NHC. When she’s not at the local farmers’ market, you can find her writing songs and snuggling with her pets.

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