Tag: playful

Color

*  Have color theme nights and plan a meal with foods of that color.

*  Combine two brightly colored vegetables together (like vibrant red peppers and deep green broccoli).

Shapes

*  Cut fruits and vegetables into different shapes. Use a knife, cookie cutters, or a melon baller to cut stars, hearts, and other fun shapes into fruit.

*  Use a knife or spiralizer to cut vegetables into strings, coins, or another shape.

Texture & Temperature

Serve fruits and vegetables at different temperatures and at different levels of “crunch.” Have raw carrots for lunch but soften celery in a soup at dinner. A salad can be hot. A soup can be cold.

Pick a new way to prepare a vegetable this week. What best describe(s) how you plan to prepare it:

*  Crunchy

*  Soft

*  Smooth

*  Rough

*  Jagged

*  Al dente (firm in the middle)

*  Hot

*  Cold

Toppings

Add toasted nuts (flaked almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, or cashews), roasted garlic, crispy shallots, toasted seeds, or parmesan cheese to a vegetable-based salad, soup, or stir fry. Other flavorful additions include olives, chili, capers, anchovies, low-sodium soy sauce, and crumbled turkey bacon.

Make it yours! Food can express your uniqueness.