This fall, I have significantly increased my consumption of vegetables and fruits in an effort to eat healthier. I have also included fall pumpkins and squash into my weekly menus. Interestingly, pumpkins and squash are treated like tomatoes in that they are actually fruits (botanically), but they are considered to be vegetables under US law! The US Supreme Court actually
ruled in the late 1800s that a tomato was a vegetable for
customs regulations, so it could be taxed (they imposed tariffs on
imported vegetables but not fruits back then). Anyway, I thought this was interesting because it was accounting AND food related.
So, to help add more vegetables to my diet, I have been using a
kitchen tool called a spiralizer at least once a week. It must be working, because
lately family, friends, and acquaintances mention my weight loss. I also feel
healthier and less lethargic. I credit this awesome invention with helping me
jump-start a much healthier lifestyle. If you don’t want to buy yet another kitchen tool,
some supermarkets sell “zoodles” (zucchini noodles) and cauliflower “rice”
(crumbles) near the bagged salads. You can easily swap out pasta and rice with
these pre-cut vegetables.
So what is a spiralizer? A spiralizer falls into the category of
kitchen cutting tools such as mandoline slicers and julienne peelers. A spiralizer has
one or more blades (usually removable and interchangeable) that cut a vegetable
into long, thin ribbons or "noodles" (such as zucchini noodles or “zoodles”).