The holidays are over and it’s time to get back on track. One thing that most of us need to do, holidays or not, is eat more vegetables. With the New Year comes new healthy habits, so let’s find some easy ways to get 5+ servings of vegetables into our day.
If you need a little motivation to boost your veggie intake, here are a few things they have to offer…Vegetables are anti-inflammatory, full of fiber, and contain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Because of this, they may help to ward off chronic diseases, promote good gut health, and help keep us youthful! Now that you are inspired…
5 Easy ways to get more vegetables into your day:
Prep your vegetables for the week
Take time to prep your veggies as soon as you get home from shopping. Clean your greens and store them so that you can grab them quickly for a salad or sauté. Roast some broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower to have on hand to add to salads, put them on top of lentils, or create an easy side dish.
Start your day with vegetables
Get a jump start on your 5+ servings by adding them into your breakfast meal. Add spinach or kale to your morning smoothies, sautéed vegetables with eggs and avocado, or eat your dinner leftovers for breakfast.
Add greens to everything
Since they are prepped and waiting for you, why not add them to everything. Making a smoothie? Add some greens. Making soup? Add some greens. Making an omelet? Add some greens. Making dinner? Add some greens. You get the idea.
Replace refined carbs with whole vegetables
This tip is a win-win – reduce refined carbs while adding in veggies. Get creative and use vegetables instead of crackers, bread and pasta.
Chips – Cut cucumbers and carrots into rounds for dipping.
Pasta – Spiralize zucchini or sweet potatoes and top them with your favorite sauces.
Sandwiches – Use collard greens to make a surprisingly delicious wrap for any sandwich filling.
Pizza crust – Cauliflower can magically be turned into a delicious pizza crust, try this cauliflower pizza crust recipe from Detoxinista.
Lasagna noodles – Make long, thin slices of zucchini with a mandoline to create lasagna “noodles”.
Rice – Grate cauliflower to create a rice or couscous like replacement.
When in doubt, take a supplement
This isn’t a replacement for eating a varied, whole food diet, but we all know that some weeks are better than others. If you are busy with work, traveling, or face any stressful event, some vegetables are better than no vegetables. You can use a greens powder to get your veggies in and boost immunity, energy, and mental clarity.
