How to Add More Vegetables to your Diet
“Eat your veggies” - does this sound familiar? Brings back memories from being little and having a certain, acquired taste against all things green and veggie. Now as an adult (and registered dietitian) vegetables are something I look forward to at a meal.
Vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Vegetables get a bad rep for being bland, boring, mushy, and undesirable. However, that all depends on how we cook, prepare, and prefer our veggies!
Classic example - brussel sprouts. Picture boiled, swamp-y green, mushy, pile of green balls on your plate. Sounds anything but appetizing right?
Now picture this - roasted, crispy, parmesan-y, herb-y, brussel sprouts. YUM!
How we cook and how we flavor our vegetables, makes a world of differences.
Next example, salad. The typical iceberg lettuce, random tomato and onion slices, and maybe some soggy croutons. Not too enticing, ey?
Now picture this salad, mixed greens, warm roasted vegetables, cold whole grain pasta, sweet and crisp apple slice, tangy dressing, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy pecans. Sounds like a much more filling, and exciting salad am I right? Now if you are not a fan of any of those ingredients - that’s okay! Tailor your salad creation to YOUR tastebuds. Choose a leafy green you enjoy, choose carbohydrates you enjoy, add your favorite fruit and vegetables, and pick a dressing you know you’ll love. Nutrition is individualized. There is no one right way to eat or one dish that is more suppioror or healthy (despite what social media and the internet think).
The American Heart Association recommends filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables to meet your daily needs, which ranges from 2-4 cups daily - depending on your age, sex, and individual needs.
To wrap it up, vegetables are a canvas to your taste buds. Getting creative with your vegetables will help you to discover new taste, flavors, and textures in your dishes and help you increase your fiber intake. That fiber is going to be beneficial for your blood sugar management, weight loss goals, improving cholesterol levels, and promote digestion - but that is another post for another time!
8 Ideas on How to Increase Vegetable Intake:
Make a pesto - use any leafy vegetable or green leafy veggies (spinach, arugula, kale, collard greens) and make a pesto adding flavor enhancers such as garlic, parmesan, salt, pepper, and heart healthy olive oil.
Make a smoothie - add non-starchy vegetables to bulk your smoothie. My favorite veggies to add to my smoothies are frozen cauliflower, frozen zucchini, and spinach. Trust me you won’t notice them - fruit such as frozen berries, banana, or mango take the star of the show still.
Add to pasta - any pasta dish, add in a handful of spinach and BOOM. You just increased the fiber, flavor, and nutrition of that pasta dish. My other go to veggies to add to pasta are zucchini, broccoli, spaghetti squash, mushrooms, onion, and more!
Add to eggs - if you’re making homemade egg bites, an omelet, or even a scramble - add some veggies. Dice nice and small and they add nice flavor and fiber
Add to meatballs or meatloaf - this is a trick I learned from my mom. She always blended onions, carrots, and other veggies before adding to the ground meat mixture. This gives it flavor and fiber and nutrients, and so sneaky! Even the pickiest of eaters will love this one.
Exciting, NON-BORING salads - use a template of 50% greens & veggies, 25% carbs and 25% protein. and don’t forget the healthy fat and flavor factors!
Make a dip or sauce - blending vegetables into a dip or sauce can enhance your pasta, protein, or even chip dip. Get creative with flavors with spices and herbs.
Crunchy snack - pre-cut your crunchy veggies (carrots, celery, radish, jicama, bell pepper) and store in fridge for a convent snack option. Pair with humus or another dip to make the snack filling and satisfying.
What questions do you have on eating more vegetables? Reach to to me on Instagram or my contact page. I’d love to chat!