Root vegetable and micro green varieties slaw.
Bleu cheese and argula salad.
Corn, avocado, and pickled onions.
Granny Smith apple slaw.
Miso-ginger vegetable medley.
Argula and balsamic vinaigrette.
Kale and aioli.
Whole wheat couscous, roasted fennel, and dried cherry salad.
Thai turkey lettuce wraps with shaved water chestnuts.
Greek argula salad.
The family’s decision to start ordering food kits from the increasingly popular home meal delivery service has been a success. In fact, the youngest daughter in the family said, “These are the best meals that we have every week.”
Even better than the taste of the meals is the opportunity to taste different kinds of meals. The vegetables and salads are especially interesting. Several of the salad recipes use unique ingredients like micro green varieties and organic microgreen seeds. In fact, adding microgreens to salads has become a standard for the family even when they are are not preparing one of the pre-portioned ingredient meals delivered to them.
Is Your Family Looking for a Way to Add More Variety to Your Weekly Meals?
Most families in America get in a rut when it comes to the meals that they prepare in their kitchens.
- Hamburgers on Monday;
- Pasta salad on Tuesday;
- Tacos on Wednesday;
- Roast on Thursday;
- Leftovers on Friday.
By the weekend many families completely give up and eat out several times rather than cook at home. And while the main dishes that are served in kitchen across America may repeat themselves, the side dishes like vegetables become increasingly monotonous. Over cooked green beans, starchy potatoes, and various forms of corn fill the plates and serve as the only vegetables that most people eat. The health recommendation of filling a third of the plate with vegetables, however, find many people looking for more variety. The trend toward root vegetables, micro green varieties of lettuces, and squash encourage some home cooks to extend their offerings. The problem with offering new food choices at home though is the challenge of learning to purchase and cook these items. Although they may be tasty and look appealing on a plate in restaurant does not necessarily translate well to the home cook who has worked outside of the home for eight to nine hours before preparing that meal.
Home cooked meal ingredients delivered straight to the home eliminate the hassle of roaming the aisles of the grocery store and the expense of eating out. The initial excitement of making something new can also carry families through the preparation of many healthy meals and varied choices. Favorite recipes are recreated from the detailed instructions and families are encouraged to expand the offerings they serve at their family tables.
Professional Chefs Continue to Expand the Offerings They Create
Just as the home chef is expanding the choices he or she offers family members at home, professional chefs are increasing their offerings as well. The addition of micro green varieties, edible flowers, and other creative foods appeal to both the pallet and the eye. A recent article in The Washington Post, for example, encourages cooks of all levels to serve an edible squash blossom to add beauty to a meal. As cooks become more familiar with offering squash as a serving, it may come as a surprise to amateurs that eve the blossom of this healthy vegetable can be eaten. The author instructs the reader in the perfect time of the day to pluck the fully open blossom from the plant and then goes on to list ingredients that can be used as filling for a beautiful presentation.
The same week that the edible squash blossom was featured, another story from Associated Press touted the use of artichokes as both edibles and floral arrangements. Turns out the thin layers of leathery leaves that surround the edible heart are a popular feature for many florists.
Eating Out Costs Americans a Significant Portion of Their Food Budgets
The average American fine dining experience costs a person close to $30. And while home cooked family meals can be less expensive, they can also become monotonous. And happy medium may be for families to still cook at home but expand the menu they serve. Whether that expansion comes through the delivery of pre-portioned ingredients delivered to your home or cooks venturing out on their own to try new recipes, adding a variety of new vegetable choices is a viable option.
