How many servings of vegetables did you have today? We’ve got three ways you can increase that count.
Cold-pressed juice
Drinking cold-pressed juice is one of the quickest ways to get the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. When you meet Mariam Dennawi of Juiceside at her Johns Creek storefront or at a local farmers market, she will talk with you about which juice might be right for how you’re feeling, and then will make it to order. We shared the eye opener — made with carrot, orange and apple — with some friends. It’s a juice everyone loved, from kids to adults. We also loved the Mediterranean juice that includes cucumber in a mix of apple, lemon, mint and grape, plus a tiny drizzle of orange blossom water. It’s nice to feel virtuous while drinking something so delicious.
$8 per 12-ounce cup. Available at Juiceside, 3005 Old Alabama Road, Alpharetta, or at the Virginia-Highland, Decatur and East Atlanta Village farmers markets. juiceside.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Spinach lumache
Braselton-based Pasta Milani is named for the family of Tammy Duncan, who was taught to prepare handmade pasta by her grandmother, a native of the Abruzzo region of Italy. Duncan makes a wide range of pastas, from spaghetti and tagliatelle to filled pastas (such as goat cheese) and seasonal flavors of ravioli. We tried her spinach lumache. The flavor and bright green color of this short, ridged, shell-shaped pasta come from fresh spinach, and the hollow shape is perfect for trapping both thick and thin sauces. The pasta is sold frozen, and it takes just 2 minutes to cook. Add one of her sauces, such as arrabbiata or vodka sauce (her best seller), and dinner is on the table in minutes. Even our guests who balk at spinach thought this pasta was great.
$12 per 16-ounce container. Available at Wilkes Meat Market in Flowery Branch, the Local Exchange in Marietta, Grayson Farmacy, the Front Porch Market in Vinings and Floral Park Market and Lucy’s Market in Atlanta, as well as at the Brookhaven, Flowery Branch, Alpharetta, Suwanee, Morningside and Grant Park farmers markets. pastamilani.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Pancake/baking mix
When Adrienne Garofalo wanted a healthy mix for preparing her sons’ favorite breakfast food — pancakes — she did a little searching, and then decided to make her own. The result was a mix of six simple ingredients, including powdered butternut squash and carrot, that made delicious pancakes and waffles, while also giving her children a little extra nutrition. In fact, two 4-inch pancakes provide a full serving of vegetables. Happy with the result, she opened Chamblee-based Pantry Garden in 2021, and now sells her original recipe and a no-sugar-added version online, and at the Brookhaven Farmers Market. Our taste testers loved the little bit of sweetness the pancakes get from the butternut and carrot. And they also loved the banana bread that we made from a recipe on the website.
$10 per 14-ounce package, which makes 20 4-inch pancakes or 12 waffles. Available at the Brookhaven Farmers Market on the second Saturday of each month and at thepantrygarden.com.
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