My friend Pia is undeniably magnificent for many, many reasons, but she recently told me about one incredibly simple thing she's started doing that has substantially upped her whole family's consumption of fresh vegetables. It was such a brilliant idea, I implemented it as soon as she told me about it. What is this easy miracle, you ask? Buy a pre-made tray of veggies each week.
I don't know about you, but I don't think I've EVER bought a tray of veggies before I started doing this. I will buy vegetables and make my own tray for a party, and we always have carrots and snap peas and such for the girls' lunches. I just never really saw the need to buy a pre made tray.
But Pia's argument was persuasive. How many bags of vegetables, bought with the best of intentions, never actually got cut up and eaten? If I'm not eating the vegetables, I'm not getting the cost benefit from making my own veggie trays.
And then she presented the concept that completely convinced me: she puts the tray out at dinner EVERY NIGHT. And the vegetables get eaten! More veggies, less waste, what a concept!
I've taken to putting the tray out before dinner, actually. That way, as I'm making dinner, if I get pestered by a hungry child (or husband), asking when dinner is going to be ready, I can just point them to the vegetable tray. I can graze on fresh vegetables while I'm cooking, too.
Pia, you're brilliant. Thank you so much for your fabulous advice and friendship!