Eat your vegetables: Soba noodle bowls

Americans aren’t eating enough vegetables. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is one of the keys to good health — helping to protect the body against all kinds of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more. But according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of Americans are consuming less than 1 cup of vegetables and 1.5 cups of fruit per day, and 87 percent of Americans are not eating the recommended daily amount of vegetables. In state-by-state comparisons, our own community here in Delaware is doing slightly worse than the national average.

It’s time to step it up, friends! Healthy habits at home and at work are your best defense against needing a trip to the hospital. As your expert, caring partners in health, we at Christiana Care want to help you make a difference in your life and your family’s life, and build a healthier community. What better way than to refocus on every mother’s advice: Eat  your vegetables.

This is the third in a series of recipes that we hope will teach you some delicious, fun ways to get more vegetables into your diet. We hope you find a few recipes that you like enough to make them weekly staples. Let us know your favorites! For more help in planning your family meals, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Soba noodle bowls

Visually stunning and simply delicious, soba noodle bowls are a fantastic way to encourage your family to eat more vegetables. Choose from a tempting array of healthy, fresh toppings to make a satisfying meal with tons of flavor. The ability to DIY may be just what you need to get your kids (grown ups too!) excited to eat their veggies.

Below you will find suggestions for vegetable toppings, proteins, and garnishes. This is a great way to use up leftover vegetables or surplus produce from the garden.

What would you add to your bowl?

Ingredients

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes, do not allow to brown. Add soy sauce and noodles tossing to ensure all noodles are coated in the sauce.

3. Remove from heat and divide between 4 bowls. Serve noodles warm or cold, topped with your choice of toppings.

Serves 4.

Topping suggestions

Serve toppings warm or cold, cooked or raw.

Nutrition