Only 10% of Americans eat enough vegetables daily– and "enough" is defined as about two to three fist-sized servings per day. That’s only 1 in 10 people... clearly, we have a lot of room for improvement here. It's unrealistic to expect anyone to miraculously start to enjoy and devour veggies, so we'll start small.
Here are a few simple and delicious things you can do to make veggies a bigger part of your diet:
START STRONG:
- Add veggies to your morning meal.
- When I have time, I’ll scramble eggs with spinach and tomatoes. If other veggies sound good – maybe red or green pepper, onion, or broccoli – add those as well. Sautee the veggies first, then pour the eggs on top and scramble away!
- Avocado toast is everywhere. If that’s your thing, load some veggies on that toast. Try arugula, scallion, asparagus, tomato, or shaved brussels sprout!
2. Try dinner for breakfast. Dinner often includes vegetables, so save the leftovers. If you’re not a leftover person, do some dinner for breakfast meal prep instead of relying on more traditional, and sweeter, breakfast options such as cereal, oatmeal, or flavored yogurt.
3. Add leafy greens to your shake. Don’t side-eye me yet, here’s the deal: Start with spinach – it blends in so well you won’t notice a difference in taste.*
- Start small. Add one leaf. Yes, one. See that asterisk above…you will taste it if you add too much. Start small and build from there. Even if you stop at just three leaves it’s still a win. IF YOU'RE TIGHT ON TIME...
- Choose pre-chopped veggies in the produce section. You can find anything from cubed butternut squash to broccoli and cauliflower florets, to sliced mushrooms. Each of these can quickly be made into part of a delicious meal.
- Shop in the frozen food section. This may not be the most ideal form of a vegetable, BUT if the alternative is no vegetable at all, frozen options look pretty good. I recommend using these in soups, stews, and stir-fry.
- Check out the prepared foods section, specifically behind the counter. When all you have time to do is heat something up, choosing fully cooked, ready-to-eat produce can be your best bet. Options abound here include roasted brussels sprouts, sautéed green beans, kale salad, garlic broccoli, and much more.
SNACK TIME:
Add some baby carrots, bell peppers, celery, cucumber, and hummus to your routine. If you have a fridge at work, stock it on Mondays, so you’re good to go all week.
