When I was growing up my mother served canned vegetables at meals. Not the kind of vegetables that you pick from your garden and spend all day “canning” in order to preserve and enjoy when those vegetables aren’t in season. But the kind of canned vegetables that you buy from the grocery store. Like the soft green beans that come in a can, laden with sodium. It’s no wonder that I grew up hating green vegetables.  

We had a nook in our kitchen where our table was located.  Because of the configuration and location of the nook, and because of where “my seat” was at the table, I was just within arms reach of the back of the refrigerator. When my Mom wasn’t looking I would drop green beans, peas, anything green behind the refrigerator.  That worked just fine for me until one day she moved the refrigerator to clean under it. 

I was really happy when I went off to college. I was in control of my own eating habits and had the freedom to NOT EAT GREEN VEGETABLES. And I didn’t. For years.

When I had children, however, I knew I couldn’t pass on my bad eating habits, so really tried to get them to like green vegetables. But I did the same thing my Mom did… all I knew how to do… serve canned vegetables. No wonder they grew up not-vegetable-fans, just like I did.

Then about 10 years ago, I was served roasted green beans. And I loved them.  What a shock.  I started experimenting with other roasted green vegetables and found out that there are actually a few that I do like: zucchini, green beans, snap peas, and sugar peas. But they have to be FRESH and they have to be “crisp” not soft and mushy. So although I’m better, if I had the choice between green vegetables and something else, I would probably take the something else. No matter what that was. Well, except liver perhaps.

Anyway, the point of all of this is to tell you that I finally found an answer to this problem – for me.  Macro Greens.  All I have to do is put one little scoop in my smoothie (my preferred method), or just mix it with water and drink it (It’s “okay” this way,  but sometimes makes me shudder) – and I’ve received the nutrients from 5 full servings of green vegetables. I don’t get the fiber from those veggies, but I get fiber in other ways.

So if you are a non-veggie-lover, I suggest you give it a try. It’s never too late to start eating those greens. (Or getting the nutrition from those greens!)

(Purchased at Amazon, but there are other places you can get this too.)