Vegetables are important to a healthy diet, but only about 10% of adults eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to the CDC.
From broccoli to spinach to bell peppers, vegetables have a variety of flavors and health benefits. If you’re looking to increase your vegetable intake, here are 11 tips to help you eat more vegetables.
1. Start eating vegetables in the morning
Eating vegetables in the morning is an easy way to eat more vegetables. Vegetable breakfast ideas include smoothies, omelets, scrambled eggs, tofu scrambles, egg muffins, frittatas, potato and vegetable hash, breakfast burritos, and breakfast bowls.
2. Find delicious salad recipes
Finding a delicious salad recipe may take some time, but you may have a favorite combination of vegetables. Eating a salad at the beginning of dinner every night allows you to incorporate more vegetables without thinking too much about it. A simple way to make a salad is a base such as vegetables (or roasted vegetables), crunchy items such as carrots, fatty items such as cheese and nuts, sweet items such as tomatoes and apples, and your favorite dressing. You can add vegetables, grains, proteins, and other toppings to make your salad more filling.
3. Whisk the grain bowl
Eating a regular grain bowl for lunch or dinner can take decision-making fatigue out of meal planning. Another way is to use up what you have in your fridge. Start with a base such as quinoa or rice and add a combination of veggies. It can also be made with a mixture of roasted and raw vegetables. You can change the taste without much effort by topping with sauce.
4. Try veggie pizza
You can easily add a few veggies to your take-out or home-made pizza. Chop up your and your family’s favorite veggies like spinach, broccoli, peppers, and onions and top the pizza before cooking. If adding to an already cooked pizza, it’s best to cook the vegetables before adding them to the pizza. You can also make a habit of adding a side salad to the side of your pizza.
5. Make stir fry
Vegetables are the main ingredient in stir-fry, so you can easily eat a lot of vegetables by making stir-fry. If you have days where you crave something hot and don’t want to eat salad, try stir fry.
6. Blend vegetables to make smoothies
Drinking vegetables is one way to get more vegetables without thinking about it. It can also be used as a breakfast or dessert by mixing vegetables or other vegetables with your favorite fruit such as berries or pineapple. For an extra protein boost, use almond milk or Greek yogurt.
7. Add a Vegetable or Two to Your Pasta Sauce
By mixing vegetables with pasta sauce, you can add more arrangement. Suppose you have a standard jar of marinara sauce. You can blend zucchini, squash, and carrots without much difference in taste. If you use fresh tomatoes to make the sauce on the stovetop, add some of the other vegetables while the tomatoes are cooking.
8. Add more vegetables to your soup
Soups can contain many vegetables. Consider adding green peppers and onions if you’re making hot peppers. If you’re making chicken noodle soup, consider adding cabbage, carrots, celery, and onions. You can also add zucchini or broccoli. Suppose you are making potato soup. Add a few pieces of cauliflower and mix. Think outside the box about what vegetables you can add.
9. Turn meat into vegetables
Do you like grilled steak? Substituting for grilled portobello mushrooms or grilled cauliflower can be tricky, but consider giving it a try. If you love a particular sauce or seasoning blend to drizzle over meat, try it with vegetables and let them be the star of your overnight plate.
10. Combine Your Favorite Snacks and Vegetables
Instead of thinking about giving up your favorite snacks for vegetables, think about combining your favorite snacks with vegetables. If you love tortilla chips, make a veggie-filled salsa to accompany them. Or, if you like eating chocolate squares, consider eating them with sliced cucumbers.
11. Include vegetables in desserts
Dessert veggies don’t have to be overt, like kale or tomatoes on top of ice cream. Add zucchini to chocolate cake batter, add black beans to brownies, or even make zucchini bread.
Why should I eat vegetables?
Eating vegetables has several benefits, including regulating blood sugar, regulating appetite, reducing the risk of heart disease, and lowering blood pressure, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
According to the Central Florida Health College, other benefits include maintaining gut health, regulating weight, lowering the risk of chronic disease, reducing the risk of certain types of cancer, and improving eye health. .
What are the best vegetables?
Here are the 10 healthiest vegetables, according to Medical News Today.
- spinach.
- Kale.
- broccoli.
- beans.
- sweet potato.
- beets.
- carrot.
- fermented vegetables.
- tomato.
- garlic.
What are superfoods?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, superfoods are foods that are low in calories but high in nutrients. Superfoods are often rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
What vegetables are superfoods?
Here are some vegetables that are also superfoods, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- beets.
- arugula.
- beet vegetables.
- Mustard greens.
- spinach.
- Kale.
- Young leaves of dandelion.
- collard green.
- swiss chard.
- Bok-choy.
- Broccoli Rave.
- garlic.