As the warmer weather is on it’s way and winter phases out, I look forward every year to farmers markets, fresh fruit stands, and the abundance of local produce available in Central Pennsylvania. In a few short weeks, produce will be readily available and inexpensive at many local markets. I take this opportunity to stock up on all of my favorite seasonal fruits and vegetables and freeze what I’m not using for later in the year.
If you tend to struggle with eating vegetables in your daily life, now is the perfect time to begin to eat seasonally and embrace these healthy greens (and other colors). Including vegetables in every meal and hitting your daily recommended requirements isn’t always an easy task. Why? Many of us don’t know how to prepare these vegetables in a way we really enjoy. If your knowledge of vegetables is limited to steaming or boiling them, I have some delicious and simple suggestions that may be game changers in your household.
Even with the best intentions, vegetables aren’t always at the top of our ‘favorites’ lists. If that applies to you, I’m sharing some new ways you may want to try incorporating more vegetables into your everyday meals.
Why Do We Need More Veggies?
Sure, health experts and others are always encouraging us to eat more vegetables, but why? Vegetables and leafy greens are full of important nutrients our bodies need to function at their very best. Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that help us combat diseases can all be found in many everyday veggies.
You don’t want to be missing out on these vital nutrients. Regardless of where you are in your vegetable journey, there is always room for all of us to improve on this intake.
One of the easiest health tips I recommend to everyone I work with is to simply add a vegetable to your plate for every meal. This one, simple habit has the ability to truly upgrade your food choices and enhance your overall health. A lot of people think that when they work with a coach, it requires a lot of change, but most of the time, it’s simple, easy tips like this one that make the greatest impact!
Small Habits Equal Big Impacts
I love taking on the approach to health that asks the question, “what small changes can I make to create the greatest impact on my life?” The habit of eating vegetables at every meal and offering them when you’re with family or friends is a great one to adopt.
When I eat more vegetables, I find my whole family eats more vegetables, too. Over time, this habit not only impacts me but positively impacts others.
I also encourage you to share veggies with those around you. Whether you’re heading to a picnic, party, or other gathering, try being the person who supplies the vegetables for the group. It’s almost always a given that desserts, dips, and chips will be abundant and there will be more than enough for everyone. But I find myself missing veggies when they’re not present. Simple and delicious veggie-forward dishes like a classic vegetable tray, buffalo cauliflower, corn and tomato salsa, or black bean dip are sure to be nutritious hits.
When you start bringing vegetable dishes to parties and gatherings, you begin to adopt the lifestyle of “someone healthy” that you may be wanting to identify as. Adopting the habits and behaviors of a healthy person allows you to actually start believing you’re a healthy person, too.
Making Meals Deceptively Delicious
For those who have small children, this topic probably hits close to home. Do you have picky eaters in your house who refuse to touch vegetables? I remember those days!
Deceptively Delicious, Simple secrets to get your kids eating good food by Jessica Seinfeld is a great resource to learn ways to sneak vegetables into almost any recipe you can think of. I remember reading this years ago and trying a few of the recipes on my young girls. To my delight, the recipes were both delicious and healthy - and ones they were excited to eat. While I no longer need to “hide” vegetables from my kids, this was a great help to me for several years when they were much younger.
Great Tricks To Try
As you’re making meals throughout the day, remember to prioritize vegetables. If you’re unsure of how to do so, check out these tips for each meal that you may want to incorporate into your life.
Soups
- Soup is a great place to add anything you can think of
- Incorporate a couple of handfuls of spinach or kale as a finisher to add some color and texture
- Puree vegetables to create your “base” for the soup
- Add extra peas, green beans, carrots, and celery to chicken or beef soup
- Try broccoli potato soup or roasted corn and cauliflower soup
Breakfast
- Don’t be like most people and skip veggies in your breakfast altogether
- Warm up leftovers and add as a side to eggs such as spinach that’s on it’s last leg, peppers and onions, broccoli or brussel sprouts
- Prepare premade egg casserole loaded with your favorite vegetables to save time from cooking each morning
- Whip up a smoothie with lots of kale, spinach and cucumber - plus your favorite fruits and add ins
Lunch
- A simple crudités and hummus goes a long way
- Remember that salads don’t have to be boring - change it up with your favorite ingredients like salmon,spinach, sliced almonds, strawberries, red onion, and goat cheese
- Swap bread for lettuce wraps once or twice a week
- Try a veggie burger over beef burger as an easy, low maintenance change
Dinner
- Vegetarian meals once or more a week are a great way to prioritize vegetables
- Stir-fry dishes with or without protein allow you to dump all sorts of veggies you like into the dish - broccoli, carrots, peppers, peas, squash, and zucchini
- Skip the starch and double up on vegetables instead of rice or potatoes
- Puree them into your sauces
- Always offer a salad even when other vegetables are offered
Other Ways To Get Your Greens
If vegetables just really don’t excite you, that’s okay. I work with clients each year that really struggle to enjoy veggies. And we don’t want to force meals that make you dread eating.
If eating veggies isn’t your thing - choose a green supplement like Athletic greens. This is a great option for ensuring you're still getting the health benefits of a full day’s worth of vegetables without having to eat them at every meal.
If you’re still looking for additional support or help with meal planning, I am always here to help! Contact me today to learn more about vegetable prioritization and healthy eating for you and your family.
