I've learned with this pregnancy that if it is not convenient for me, it is harder for me to choose the best things to eat. So I've come up with a new routine to make sure I'm getting plenty of fresh veggies and vitamins for our baby.
The prep is easy. We choose to buy mostly organic (as much as possible) based on the dirty dozen list but at times we do veer off if something is way down on the list. In order to clean those veggies we take extra care.
The first step is to run a tub, clean sink or large bowel with fresh water. Adding 1-2 T of Lemon Juice and 1-2 T of Baking Soda. We then submerge our veggies in this mixture, rinse and repeat if necessary. Most of the time it is a two time process, especially if we are noticing the water is very dirty. (Wait until you try this with strawberries for the first time and I'm talking the organic ones!)
The second step is to dry or spin our produce as much as possible before we get into the prep stage.
Third, we start prepping veggies some are prepped for dinners to come during the week and the rest is chopped for easy munching.
Below you can see I've chopped celery and carrots and saved the tops of the celery for our homemade chicken noodle soup (recipe coming soon). This way, when I need to get started on the soup, I'll be half way there!
I can't tell you how much I adore a refridgerator full of fresh, clean and prepped veggies for munching. With pregnancy hunger it is so easy to grab a handfull of celery, carrots, peppers or any other veggie that's ready to be consumed.
One of my favorite bonuses of having clean and prepped veggies is when the kids are hungry for a "snack" right before dinner or during the day, I tell them to grab a veggie of choice. I got a few no thank yous at first, but my kiddos know we eat veggies around here and before you know it the carrots and bell peppers were all gobbled up.
I hope this has inspired you to go get some fresh veggies and always have a supply of them ready to go for snacking at any time. You'll be surprised how little time it actually takes and how many more vitamins and nutrients you're getting into your body in no time.
- Gabreial
