5 Easy Ways to Sneak More Veggies Into Your Diet
Packed with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, plants are arguably THE healthiest foods available. While I typically recommend 1-2 servings of fruit per day, I encourage most clients to aim for at least 3-5 servings of veggies (1 serving = 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked). Are YOU getting enough?
If not, here are a few simple tips to easily (and tastefully) get more veggies in your diet:
Add them to sauce - in addition to tomatoes, why not include diced carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms and garlic in your pasta or pizza sauce? The kids will NEVER know. Are you a fan of pesto? Although primarily pine nuts and extra-virgin olive oil, this condiment also packs in fresh greens such as basil and is great on everything from egg cups to avocado toast.
Do you make homemade salad dressings? Awesome! Next time, add fresh parsley, cilantro, shallots and/or garlic!
Do you love hummus, but not the bloat that follows the bean? Try making cauliflower hummus! This cruciferous veg is a cancer-fighting, liver-loving superstar food that’s packed with vitamin C, magnesium and detoxifying sulfur compounds.
Add them into smoothies - smoothies are an easy way to sneak in 1-2 servings of veggies and, if you do it right, you won’t even taste or see them—a great trick for picky eaters and kids!
Although spinach is the universal smoothie green, try experimenting with kale, swiss chard, romaine, raw zucchini, steamed (then frozen) cauliflower or broccoli, beets, baked sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin, etc. Most of these are mild, if not slightly sweet, which will either not affect the flavor at all or—better yet—enhance it!
Make a soup - super healthy, easy to batch cook and freeze (for healthy eating in a pinch), soup is also a clever way to utilize produce that’s starting to go bad.
Add wilting greens to your next batch of chicken soup; use veggie scraps (i.e. skins, carrot tops and broccoli stems) for homemade broth; make a metabolism-boosting green soup to have for a healthier snack at work; or try this creamy carrot soup for a yummy, sleep-supportive dinner option.
Finish your dish with a sprinkle of microgreens - these teeny tiny sprout-like greens are packed with up to 40x the nutrients of their mature counterparts!
All you need is a pinch atop your loaded toast, soup, wraps or salads to supercharge your system with antioxidants and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron. Want more details? Click here.
Swap out your noodles - spiralized zucchini, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes and squash are all the rage these days, especially given the low carb, keto craze! Not only are these veggie “noodles” a complex (vs. simple) carb, but they’re also low in calories and packed with fiber, minerals and antioxidants!
Fun idea: saute “zoodles” (aka zucchini noodles) in grass-fed ghee and your homemade veggie-loaded marinara (see above), finish with grass-fed meatballs and viola: a dish that the whole family will enjoy!
One of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself and your family is to add more veggies to your diet. They’re not only energizing, disease-fighting, heart healthy, detoxifying, filling, sustaining and brain boosting, but also supportive of: weight loss, hunger and craving control, mood, energy and the hormones. The more colorful your plates, the better!
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