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Just 1 in 10 Americans eat enough vegetables. For some, the challenge is the time it takes to prepare a salad or roast some broccoli. But a new TikTok trend makes eating veggies extremely simple. It's called Dinosaur Time. Sarah Boden reports on whether this silly food hack can lead to healthier habits.
SARAH BODEN, BYLINE: To do Dinosaur Time, you take a handful of plain leafy greens, give them a rinse and then shove them in your mouth - perhaps while standing over your kitchen sink. Humans have been eating raw greens for millennia, but one of the first people to do this on TikTok seems to be a former science teacher named Amy Garrett.
(SOUNDBITE OF TIKTOK VIDEO)
AMY GARRETT: I've been trying to eat more greens with every meal recently. And I have figured out, like, the best life hack for me that works for me, and so I thought I'd show you.
(SOUNDBITE OF PACKET RIPPING)
BODEN: While she eats the greens, the "Jurassic Park" theme plays in the background. Garrett's TikTok handle is @sahmthingsup, and she has nearly 50,000 followers. She often reminds them that Dinosaur Time is not a meal replacement or a way to lose weight. What it is is a strategy to add leafy greens to your diet.
EMMA LONGSJO: I think it's just so easy.
BODEN: Emma Longsjo of Boston says she's already polished off three bags of spinach because of Dinosaur Time and is eating her way through a fourth.
LONGSJO: No cleanup, no meal prep needed. It helps with food waste.
BODEN: Leafy greens are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They're a rich source of fiber, vitamins K and C, calcium, iron, and research shows they can reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. So who cares if you're getting all of these benefits while pretending to be a giant reptile?
LONGSJO: So the first time, I was thinking of that scene in "Jurassic Park" where they're seeing, like, the - I think it's, like, a - the, like, long-neck one, where he's, like, chomping on the trees.
BODEN: Longsjo likes spinach and doesn't mind eating it plain before a dinner of mac and cheese or a sandwich. For some people, that would taste disgusting, which is OK, says Andrea Mathis, a registered dietitian in Alabama.
ANDREA MATHIS: There are other ways that you can really enjoy spinach instead of eating it by the handfuls.
BODEN: Mathis suggests blending spinach or kale into a smoothie - you might not even taste it - or wrap up some leafy greens with lean turkey as a snack.
MATHIS: I also like to add them to omelets. And if you're making a sandwich, I like to substitute the lettuce for spinach leaves sometimes.
BODEN: She says food should be enjoyable, and parents are sharing on TikTok that Dinosaur Time is a fun way to get kids to try new vegetables. That doesn't surprise Julie Stefanski, a registered dietitian in Pennsylvania.
JULIE STEFANSKI: Many children won't touch certain foods because it looks wet or how it feels.
BODEN: And if kids don't want to touch a food, they're not going to eat it. But when pretending to be dinosaurs, kids are touching vegetables they might otherwise avoid, which is a win, even if they don't end up eating anything. The important thing is they're exploring a new food.
STEFANSKI: Giving kids the space to do that on their own is so important in having, you know, a balanced diet.
BODEN: Stefanski suspects that the popularity of Dinosaur Time will eventually go extinct. She suggests something that's nearly as easy is microwaving a bag of frozen veggies and throwing a little seasoning on top. But if you're like me and hate doing dishes, Dinosaur Time might be worth a try - though I would not recommend starting with arugula, which I found to be a little spicy.
For NPR News, I'm Sarah Boden.
(SOUNDBITE OF NATHANIAL DREW AND TOM FOX'S "MEU JEITO") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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