Babes on a Budget: 5 Cheap Veggies and What to Do With Them.

Happy Humpday! I hope everyone’s having a great week so far 🙂

I’m not sure if anyone noticed, but I’ve officially changed the description of my blog to “Healthy Living for Babes on a Budget.” The motivation for that was a combination of things, but essentially I enjoy being a resource for others on living a healthy life without breaking the bank. After learning from my own experiences as a professional dancer and hustler (as I like to call it), trying to fuel our bodies with nutritious food and exercising can get expensive real fast, especially in this day & age with all of the fancy options we have (LA, i’m looking at you). Personally however, I don’t think we need to spend a fortune to feel or look good, which is why I’m shifting my focus to more budget-conscious content.

I’m starting off this new-found purpose by sharing 5 of my favorite veggies! I’m on a serious veggie kick now that spring has sprung, which is good considering all the sweets I ate in March while traveling and celebrating birthdays…oops. The good news is that none of these gorgeous little pieces of produce cost more than about $2 a pound (and are usually much less save for the organic variety). Consider adding these to your grocery cart next time you hit the store because they all pack mega health benefits, set you up for a healthy week (with a touch of easy peasy meal-prep) and keep you in line with your food budget!

Carrots: I feel like these get easily forgotten, but carrots are so versatile and so dang cheap. I’ve always been a fan of baby carrots dipped in hummus of course, but buying the whole carrots from the farmer’s market, or even just at the grocery store can give your meals a boost of Vitamins A, C, and K, beta-carotene, fiber, iron and copper. They’re slightly sweet too, so adding them to baked goods or smoothies makes them feel slightly decadent!

What to make with them…

My all-time favorite Carrot Cake Smoothie

Garlic Roasted Carrots

2-Ingredient Carrot Cake Rawnola

Carrot Oatmeal Greek Yogurt Muffins

Zucchini: As we head into warmer weather, zucchini is going to be coming at us like crazy. I know zoodles have gotten super popular as people are more familiar with spiralizing veggies, but what I love about it most is that it has a fairly neutral flavor, which means you can do a ton with it. My go-to? Adding it into oatmeal or baked goods to add moisture and a kick of Vitamins A and C, magnesium (so important!), fiber and potassium. Swear you can’t taste it, but your body will thank you!

What to make with it…

Lasagna Zucchini Boats

Healthy Zucchini Oat Breakfast Cookies

Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto

Cauliflower: This is definitely one of the more trendy veggies on the health & wellness radar these days what with all of the cauliflower in smoothies (see my blueberry power smoothie recipe below) and using it as a substitute for many low-carb dishes as rice or mashed potatoes. Aside from being a jack of all trades, cauliflower is packed with protein, vitamins C and K, fiber, magnesium and more.

What to make with it…

Blueberry Power Smoothie

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan & Chives

Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower

Brussels Sprouts: Ahhh, good ol’ brussels sprouts. I know these babies get a bad rap sometimes, but they’re honestly really delicious if you cook ’em the right way! *cough* in bacon fat…no but seriously, my favorite way to eat sprouts is by throwing them in my ninja and shredding them into a slaw for the base of a salad. Roasting them with parmesan, garlic and EVOO is damn good, too. They’re yet another veggie that contains a boat load of vitamins C & K, potassium and even omega-3’s!

What to make with them…

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Garlic Lemon Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Cheesy Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Harvest Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potato, Brussels Sprouts and Apples

Kale: An old favorite of mine, Kale has always been the perfect thing to throw in with a quinoa salad or smoothie for some added nutrients. Did you know Kale is packed with protein?! Plus about a billion other wonderful things like folate and fiber, too. I’ve become quite sick of the regular ol’ green kind, so I usually go for the Lacinto variety. It makes for the perfect base for a salad mixed with any of the veggies above, or a grain bowl with farro, beets and goat cheese (my all-time fave!).

What to make with it…

Pasta with Kale and Turkey Sausage

Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Mash and Garlic Kale

Quinoa & Kale Protein Salad

Kick Booty Kale Smoothie

Have a great rest of your week, friends!

xo Jordan