Eat Your Veggies

Tired, sluggish, sick, fat? You may not be eating all your veggies. Eating more vegetables will help you get enough fiber, vitamins, minerals, and by filling your plate with vegetables you'll reduce your caloric intake at each meal.
The easiest way to eat more vegetables is to make them delicious and make them easy. I like to make a big batch of cooked vegetables at one time. Throughout the week I can eat them right out of the fridge as a snack and eating some vegetables cold gives me extra fat burning abilities due to the "resistant starch" found in some carbohydrate rich vegetables (read more about this by following the link below.*) Here are some more ways you can enjoy your batch of vegetables:
-Add to a green salad with a small serving of nuts, cheese, or seeds and a light vinaigrette.
-Toss together with cooked beans and rice, which compliment each other to make a
complete protein.
-Add them to quinoa with fresh herbs and vinaigrette.
-Serve as a side dish with grilled fish or lean protein.
-Eat them for breakfast with scrambled eggs or tofu.

Quick Roasted Vegetables

Below I've given a list of my favorite vegetable to roast but feel free to mix it up and cook up whatever you find at the market.
Get down and dirty with these vegetables. You don't need to cut them up all fancy, just be sure they are cut so that they cook evenly. Think about the vegetables that your using and remember that if you cut things in larger or thicker pieces, they will take longer to cook. If you are combining vegetables that cook quickly like, onions, peppers, or summer squash with vegetables that will take longer like potatoes or beets, cut the delicate vegetables in bigger chunks.
You'll notice that I don't peel any of the vegetables because I like the extra nutrients and fiber that is found in the vegetables outer skin.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

3 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into ¼” thick slices

4 medium red potatoes, washed and cut into ¼” thick slices

1 fennel bulb, washed and cut into ¼” thick slices

2 cups of brussel sprouts, washed, ends trimmed, and cut in half

3 medium carrots, washed and cut into ½” thick slices

3 small beets, scrubbed, roots trimmed off and cut into ½” cubes

1 T. olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp dried rosemary

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried dill

½ tsp chili flakes (optional)

fresh cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients in a very large bowl and toss to coat vegetables with spices and oil. Pour vegetables out onto two parchment or foil lined baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*find out more about "resistant starches" at http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/nature-s-fat-burning-breakthrough/296ca6b509787110VgnVCM20000012281eac____/news.voices/in.the.magazine/march.2008.issue