Eat Your Vegetables!

Now that it's not just me that is affected by what I eat, I am trying to be a LITTLE bit better about getting enough vegetables. And when you're supposed to get 4* servings a day and before you were maybe getting 2 on a good day, well... being a LITTLE bit better can be a LITTLE bit intimidating. Here's how I solved that problem today:

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. butter
4 small red potatoes, diced
1 can low sodium chicken broth
black pepper
garlic
4 cups broccoli, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook the onion in the butter til it's soft. Add the potatoes, broth, and seasonings to taste. Bring to a gentle boil and stir occasionally until potatoes just start to get tender. Add the broccoli, cover, reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is done. Remove from heat and cool a bit, then puree in a blender in two batches. Return to saucepan over low heat, add the milk and cheese and stir until cheese melts. Serve with bread/toast/crackers/etc. Makes about 5 cups.

Now here's the exciting part: not only was this soup delicious, but it was also only 240 calories a cup AND each cup provides almost 3 vegetable servings!!! (please note the 3 exclamation marks representing each serving of vegetables.) WOW.

*4 servings a day for pregnant women. If you're not pregnant I think it's only 3. But I'm pretty sure by "3" they mean "at LEAST 3" so it couldn't hurt to get more. And by "they" I mean the people who know everything about what's good for us. (Specifically: the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association.)