It seems everywhere you turn health and wellness experts are telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Yes, you probably already know, they’re full, and I mean FULL of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber that will nourish your body and make you feel amazing.
Yes, people who eat more fruits and vegetables live longer, healthier lives. Not to mention protecting their bodies and minds from just about every chronic disease out there including stress. Learn how to Eat Your Stress Goodbye with Stress-Fighting Foods.
Yes, eating more vegetables can even help you maintain a healthy body weight.
Your question is not “Should I eat more fruits and vegetables,” but “How can I actually do it?”.
Believe me, I can relate. If you had asked me even 5 years ago if vegetables were an exciting food it would have been a resounding “No!”, but today, dare I say they are one of my favorite foods? I love seeing how many ways I can incorporate them into my diet.
There are so many fun ways to eat more fruits and veggies, and as a health coach, I’m full of creative and delicious ways to help you get more in.
Before we dive in, remember to always start where you are. If you’re not used to eating any fruits and veggies, try adding in just one to two per day. Build up from there. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you have to overhaul your entire diet in one fell swoop.
Wherever you are now, I invite and challenge you to increase it by 1-2 per day. Now, let’s dive in on my ideas on how to add more fruits and veggies into your diet. Hopefully you’ll pick up a few new ideas!
Prep a Week’s Worth Over the Weekend
It’s more likely (and realistic for our busy schedules) that we’ll grab for veggies if they’re chopped, ready to eat and stored front and center in the fridge. This means washing, chopping and even roasting them. Anything that will make them easy to grab. It’s amazing how quickly you’ll reach for veggies if they’re ready to go. Put them in a baggie for easy snacking and even enjoy with a dip like hummus or guacamole! Yum!
Sneak Them into Other Dishes
This one may be “sneaky”, but I’m all about your health. Some dishes are super easy to enhance with a bit of strategically placed produce. In fact, there aren’t many meals that wouldn’t be made better with a handful of kale or spinach.
Pizza night? Try topping with spinach, bell peppers or broccoli. Pasta? Simply add carrots, some greens, mushrooms or zucchini. Love sandwiches? Try adding an extra slice of tomato, lettuce or cucumber to it. I love adding pumpkin and sweet potato to my chili for a sweet yet savory dish! Make it a game and see how many different vegetables you can pack in to what you’re already cooking.
Add Them to Soup
Come fall and winter, I’m all about the soup! I love how easy it is to pack in a ton of veggies and love doubling up to stick leftovers in the freezer for another day when I have less time to cook. It’s so easy to dice, shred or blend an extra bit of carrot, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato or pepper into your soup. The flavors and options are endless! Try this Lentil Stuffed Pepper Soup by the Garden Grazer.
Make Them Taste More Delicious With a Meal
I don’t know about you, but I used to think of veggies as boring. Mostly because I opened a can of beans and heated them up. But, there are so many ways to make them tasty and delicious!
Steam some frozen corn and add a touch of olive oil and your favorite herb or spice. Try using veggies as your sandwich “bread” by making a lettuce wrap. Don’t be afraid to spice them up! Try sauteing or roasting them with a small drizzle of olive oil and flavor with pepper, garlic, ginger or cumin.
Veggies for Breakfast
I know what you’re thinking…veggies for breakfast?! Absolutely! Try adding minced broccoli, cauliflower, chopped bell peppers or spinach to your tofu scramble or eggs. Prefer pancakes or waffles? Try sneaking some pumpkin or squash puree into the batter. Smoothies are a great grab & go option to take your veggies with you. Add a handful of kale or spinach to any fruit smoothie or try blending 1 cup almond milk, a frozen banana, 1-2 handfuls of spinach and a tablespoon of almond butter.
Opting for Them as Snacks
Why not throw a banana, apple or a couple of clementines into your lunch or gym bag? Ditch the chips & dip and instead opt for carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers with a dip like hummus, guacamole or even your favorite salad dressing. Buy plain yogurt and sweeten it with fresh or frozen berries.
Hide Them in Desserts
Another sneaky and clever way to eat more vegetables is to hide them in desserts! You can bake zucchini, squash and carrots into bread. Hide pureed zucchini or spinach in brownie batter. In fact, chocolate is the perfect base to disguise the veggie taste. Hide carrots and squash in chocolate cake. Blend sweet potatoes or spinach in a chocolate shake. Add pumpkin or sweet potato puree to chocolate chip cookie dough.
Your Challenge
Pick one of these suggestions and try it this week. Just add one or two more fruits and veggies to the number you’re at today. If you’re not a fan the first time, try again. Research shows that sometimes it takes our taste buds several tries before actually beginning to like a new flavor. Keep trying. You just might find some new favorites!
* Let me know your favorite ideas in the comments below or share your favorite tip I didn’t mention.
In good health!
Additional Resources:
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/dont-like-vegetables
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-fruits-vegetables