Have you been getting enough greens?  According to the new 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines it is recommended to consume 2.5 cups vegetables/day and within the week the intake of dark-green vegetables is 1.5 cups/week for the typical 2000-calorie American diet.  However if you’re anything like me and you’re active then I highly recommend more!  

This recipe is a sure way to reach your quota of dark-green vegetables.  In fact, it’s almost impossible to stop with one serving of these vegetables.

If you don’t already know asparagus have been deemed as a natural diuretic and aid in excretion of fluids.  This antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient rich vegetable can be found in various colors such as green, purple, and white…  Some of benefits possibly include blood sugar reduction/decreased risk of type two diabetes, prevention of cognitive decline, assistance with food motility during digestion due to its fiber, and lowering the risk of heart disease.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus; ends trimmed off
• 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts; root trimmed off then halved
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds; raw with shell removed
• 1.5 tbsp garlic; minced
• 1 tsp black pepper; crushed
• EVOO – enough to douse vegetables

Methodology:

1. Preheat the oven to 415 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl mix together all the ingredients listed above: Brussels sprouts, asparagus, pepper, pumpkin seeds, garlic, and EVOO.
3. On a cooking sheet lay out the veggies.
4. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes depending how crispy you want your vegetables.  Halfway through cooking use a spatula to move the veggies around so that they roast evenly.
5. Serve with your protein and starch of choice.  As you can see I opted for a double portion of vegetables and paired with scallops (YUM x 100%).
6. Happy bites y’all!

xxx – Sarah