Let’s talk vegetables, shall we? It’s no secret that Americans are notoriously poor at getting the recommended amount of vegetables in their daily diet. In fact only about 6.4% eat the recommended amount of vegetables we should eat in an average day. Most of us eat anywhere from 30% to 80% of the suggested amount of vegetables each day.Â
Why is that a problem? What difference does it make if we eat our vegetables or not? To put it simply . . . vegetables are some of the healthiest foods out there. They’re filled to the brim with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and all kinds of other nutrients that help ward off disease and keep us feeling healthy. You can’t go wrong by adding more veggies to your diet.
Here are six easy ways to help you increase your vegetable consumption:
1. Top it – Pile on the veggies when you have baked potatoes or pizza. Top other foods with salsa or bruschetta.
2. Blend it – Put your blender to work by whirring up some veggies for a green smoothie or as a base for soups like this Roasted Tomato Soup, and sauces.
3. Stuff it – Use vegetables as a holder for the main entrée. I’m thinking stuffed peppers, zucchini boats (Quinoa and Chicken Stuffed Zucchini from She Knows), or stuffed tomatoes like this Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna.
4. Dip it – This is my go to for adding veggies to the lunch meal. Raw vegetables and a healthy dip like hummus are a great addition.
5. Add it – Get out your chef’s knife and start chopping and dicing. Add those veggies to casseroles, salads (Spinach and Orzo Salad), stir-fries, stews, sandwiches, and even lasagna.
6. Shred it – Vegetables like carrots or cabbage work well for shredding and adding as a filler to dishes like chili, meatballs, meatloaf, and enchiladas.
Add more vegetables to your diet today. You’ll be on the road to a healthier diet and healthier body.
What have you done to increase your intake of veggies? Leave a comment below and share your ideas. I’d love to hear them! Check back often for more healthy ideas.
Morning, Marie,
I love this post! According to the reading I’ve been doing lately, veggies have many more nutrients than fruit which I found a little disappointing because I love my fruit but it made me step up my veggie intake too.
Someone said to me the other day that I had too many veggie dishes on my blog, lol. Well, d’oh, that’s what you’re supposed to be eating! lol. I’m convinced plant based food is the way to go.
I wash and cut my veggies ahead of time so they’re handy in the fridge when I want a snack. Am I losing nutrients when I do this? I read somewhere that you shouldn’t cut until you’re using them.
Pinning your fabulous post! Have a great day.
Hi Robyn – Thank you for your kind words! If you cut your veggies ahead of time you may decrease the amount of some nutrients – mostly vitamin C, thiamin, and folate. But there’s still some in there even after a few days. So if it helps you to eat more veggies by having them prepped ahead of time I think it’s still a good idea. More plant based foods in the diet is definitely the way to go. Have a great week!
Another great idea is juicing. A high powered blender is a great juicing machine or a juicer. If using the juicer you can take the left over pulp/fiber and put it in muffins, pancakes or better yet mix it with an egg, almond flour and lay it out on dehydrator trays or on a baking sheet and dry or cook making crackers. Spring planting is near…. Fresh and inexpensive veggies to dress the table and fill our tummies. ????
Sherry – I’ve never done much juicing because of the loss of fiber, but I love how you use the pulp/fiber for other things. That’s a great way to juice and still get the benefits of the whole veggie. And yes, I can’t wait for the fresher vegetables we can get in the summer, both in my garden and at the farmer’s market! Have a great week!
What’s interesting is I have slightly better days with my Lyme’s when Our son juices and shares with mom. 😉
Broccoli, carrots, celery. Yumm! With summer we are going to add Kale and a lemon. Also, using a high powered blender will help use the fiber. Investing in that next. 😉
I think was a great, simple post to provide easy ideas to include more vegetables into a someone’s diet. Thanks for including recipes to give an idea of how your suggestions works. I definitely think adding why vegetables are important in the diet really supports these ideas of how to add vegetables to the diet.