I work a regular 9-5 job and normally workout afterwards, so my extra time gets sucked up pretty fast during the week. One of my goals this year is to break out from my routine and spend some more weekday time in the kitchen.

Until then, during workdays I tend to make hearty salads for lunch and at night steamed veggies with avocado and either a possible grain, a rice cake or sheets of seaweed. This helps to keep my balance in tack for those days (especially weekends) where I tend to eat off track.

Some of my favorites to steam (depending on the season) are: mushrooms (especially enoki because it acts like spaghetti), broccoli, broccolini, spinach, asparagus, bean sprouts, onions, kabocha squash, sweet potatoes, bok choy, eggplant, brussel sprouts and cabbage.

I prefer stainless steel pot steamers versus the collapsible steamer baskets because its an all-in-one, easy to use, clean, store, multi-faceted, hearty option. It also lasts forever!

Steaming tends to be one of my most preferred forms of cooking.

1. It gives my digestion a little break. Raw is the most nutrient dense form of eating, but for some who have digestion issues, raw isn't always the best method. As well, there are some vegetables that release more nutrients once cooked, like tomatoes. With steaming I'm still able to receive plenty of nutrients, but without my digestion working overtime.

2. No extra oils are needed.

3. The time needed for steaming ranges from 10-20 min and even shorter if you want to retain more nutrients.

Don’t get me wrong. I still love roasted brussel sprouts as much as the next person and a good veggie stir fry, but when it comes to a low calorie, no oils, nutrient dense option; I'll choose steamed.

A few favorite additions to my steamed veggies:

Bragg or Coconut Aminos
Lemon
Avocado
Spices like; dill, turmeric, ginger and cumin
Nutritional Yeast