“Think Green!” and not just for St. Patrick’s Day, but every day!

The other day I was being interviewed about the Hauser Diet for a radio show and the host asked me what I thought was one of the main problems with the eating habits of Americans today. My answer: "Americans do not think green!”

Certainly it is no secret to those in the health field that the American Diet is devoid of vegetables.

In a large government study released in 2007, only about 27% of adults in the USA ate vegetables three or more times per day in 2005. Most know that research shows that diets high vegetables helps decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and helps with weight control.

People have many reasons why they do not consume vegetables. People may not be eating these nutrient-rich foods because of cost, lack of time for preparation or lack of easy access to them, or because they just do not choose to do so. It is our opinion that most people just choose not to do it. As we have said many times before. Only YOU have control over what you put into your body. Why would you not want to give your body the best fuel?

We want you to start thinking GREEN! Each one of the five Hauser Diets – from Lions to Giraffes, requires vegetables in their diets, obviously some more than others. Even protein-based diets such as the Hauser Lion and Otter Diets require vegetables. The Giraffe Diet requires many servings of vegetables. But either way you slice it, we all need green veggies. Remember what mom used to say? Yup – eat your veggies!


What do we mean by green vegetables? (Yes, some were asking.)

We mean including these types of foods EVERY day in your diet (multiple times per day)

• dark green lettuce such as leaf, spinach, arugula
• broccoli
• asparagus
• kale or collard greens
• peas
• green peppers
• beans
• Brussels sprouts
• Artichokes
• Zucchini
• Fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, and cilantro

What’s so great about green vegetables? First and foremost, veggies are good for you. Loaded with fiber and nutrients, vegetables help keep you healthy! But even better, vegetables just taste great! I may be biased, and my husband thinks I am nuts, but I would rather eat roasted vegetables than cake! Ooh – they are just so good!

You think I am crazy, but once you know how to make vegetables taste good, you’ll be in the same camp!


Here are five of my favorite ways to prepare green veggies!

1. Roasted: Chop your favorite veggies and place in a bowl. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a little kosher salt. Toss in the bowl to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 15-30 minutes or until done. Roasting brings out the sweetness in the veggies. These are great to serve as a veggie tray with dip or as a side dish to any meal. Check out our video library for more instructions on how to roast your veggies.

2. With white sauce: I love to make sauces. As you may have seen in our video library, making your own white sauce is as easy as 1-2-3. It literally takes minutes to make! Catch the video at LINK. Melt butter, add flour or cornstarch to make a paste (rue), pour in milk (or soy milk), stir until thickened. There you have it! Add cheese, mushrooms, whatever you like! I love to make this cheese sauce with steamed fresh broccoli for my younger friends! They cannot get enough of it (aka kids).

3. With a pinch of this and that: When we first got married, my husband would always ask me what I put in the veggies to make them taste so good. Well, the secret is just a pinch of natural sugar or honey and a dash of salt. I then stir in a little olive oil or butter and ooh, those veggies taste great. If you like pepper, grind some fresh pepper. If you like a little zip, add some red pepper flakes.

4. Stir fry! Talk about delish! Cut up your favorite veggies into bite-sized pieces. Heat up a few tablespoons of canola oil in a wok or large pan. When the oil is hot, add the veggies and stir fry until just cooked. Start with the hardest veggies first and add the soft ones later. I love adding fresh spinach at the end of the stir-fry process! YUM! Sprinkle with some soy sauce, garlic, Chinese Five-Spice, or any of your favorite seasonings and you’ll have an awesome veggie dish that can be eaten with rice for you Bears, Monkeys and Giraffes, or as a side dish to your protein meal for Otters and Lions.

5. Toss it! Salads are a great medium for getting in the green veggies. Start every salad with dark greens such as spinach, leaf lettuce, mesculin greens, or arugula or a mix of all of these. If you are still using head lettuce, it’s time to make a change! Add chopped green peppers, artichoke hearts, and even some chopped herbs, along with other favorite veggies such as tomatoes, carrots, and cucumber, and you have a nutrient-packed side dish or meal. Try our Tuesday night salad dressing from page 157 of the Hauser Diet book and you’ll have people begging you to make that salad for them again!

Depending on what ingredients you use, all of these recipe ideas can be appropriate for all five Hauser Diet Types. If you need help tweaking a recipe for your Diet Type, send us an email.

No matter how you slice it, the standard American Diet is devoid of nutrients – especially in the form of vegetables. Do not become a statistic! Start thinking green!