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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | FEBRUARY 2017 7 By Theresa Rossetti, Resident As I type this, New Year's Resolutions are on my mind. Many of us resolve to lose weight, exercise more, blah, blah, blah. Even if the scale is your friend, there's no reason not to try to eat a bit healthier without depriving yourself of the things you love. Sounds boring? Yes, it can be, but there are ways to lighten up your meals without suffering too much. Try roasting vegetables, for instance. Lazy Woman, of course, has a lazy way to do this. ROASTING VEGGIES: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, add a bit of cooking spray. My favorites to roast are green beans, zucchini or yellow squash and eggplant. Others work, so use what you like. Using about a pound of veggies, cut them into even pieces (very important). Green beans can be done whole. Now take a big sealable plastic bag. Throw the veggies into the bag. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp salt and ΒΌ tsp pepper and any other spices you like (I use garlic powder and Italian seasoning). Shake everything around in the bag, coating the veggies in the oil and seasoning. If they seem dry, add a bit more oil and shake again. Now dump everything into the pan, spreading the veggies out evenly. Place in the oven. Throw the bag away. Roasting time will vary on their thickness and denseness, so you must check them while they're cooking. Green beans, yellow squash and zucchini take about 15 minutes, broccoli and cauliflower about 20 minutes, root veggies and hard squash can take 45 minutes or more. Start checking five minutes before these times. They're done when they can be pierced with a fork, and show a bit of char around the edges. Serve immediately. Now a few other ideas for healthier eating: 1. Eliminate some added sugars. Sugar can be hidden in things we think are good for us. Read the labels when shopping. 2. Choose whole over processed. Eat food in the state in which it grew, fresh veggies and fruits for instance, or proteins that have not been processed or prepped for you. 3. Eat more veggies! Add a salad to your meals, dressing on the side. 4. Change up your carbs. Sometimes choose brown rice over white, whole grain instead of white flour pasta, add beans to your diet, cut back on fatty meats. The last advice I read was - Avoid alcohol. Oh, well, four out of five to try ain't bad! Diet? I Thought You Said "Try It"!