Go fresh, go green

With our busy lifestyles, more and more of us are turning to processed foods. Apna urban families are fast turning into their American counterparts when it comes to getting food by the bulk from that nearby mall rather than making a daily trip to the bhaji market.

Frozen peas right down to frozen curried vegetables, the choice is large. But, while you may opt for convenience you're losing out on essential nutrients. Here are some tips on eating right.

Choose the bhaji-market over processed food

• Vegetables are cheaper! When bought in season, you can find a wide variety of vegetables at your local market at reasonable rates.

• Vegetables for energy. Veggies give a boost to energy levels by balancing the nutrients in your body. While you're at it stay away from sugar as well. 

• Vegetables help prevent disease. By helping maintain a healthy and strong immune system, you'll suffer from fewer colds and other viruses doing the rounds.

• Vegetables can help prevent cancers. Studies are showing that the vitamins, minerals and fibre in veggies help protect the body from cancer and malignant growths.

• Vegetables aid weight loss. By filling you up with fewer calories, vegetables can make dieting a lot easier on your body.

Add veggies to your diet, without making it 'boring'!

If you're having trouble adding vegetables to your plate, here are a few simple ways to get the recommended five servings a day.

•  Add some chopped vegetables to your eggs in the morning. Be it the omlette or bhurji, this is one way you can tastefully add crunchy, fresh veggies to your breakfast.

• Reach for a glass of vegetable juice instead of your fruit juice (think carrot combined with celery. To make it go down easier add a pinch of salt and black pepper). Fine, they're not the tastiest things to have, but a glass of pure vegetable juice will contain all the vitamins and fibres that even cooked vegetables won't offer you, ever!

• If it's pasta you're cooking up add vegetables to the tomato sauce. Top it up with cheese and you've got yourself a healthy and tasty snack.

• Instead of take-away try making your own pizza and add your favorite vegetables – though you may not chop them as finely as those pros – to the cheesy topping. Think about it, with the amount of pizzas you've been eating at home and office these days, this habit can be quite healthy over a long run, what say?