How to add more vegetables to your diet – creatively!
If you’re not eating the recommended 2-3 servings of vegetables daily, you’re not eating enough veggies. Most Americans aren’t. One serving amounts to one cup of most vegetables. Raw leafy greens are two cups per serving. But you don’t have to eat your veggies as a side dish, which can be a challenge for those who don’t like them. You can get a little creative and incorporate them in other ways to your daily diet – even breakfast! Here are five ways to eat more veggies without feeling like you’re eating more vegetables!
- Down a smoothie full of fruits and vegetables. Substitute a meal, even breakfast, for a healthy smoothie packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Try one of these recipes.
- Vegetable snacks between meals are healthy and can fill you. Carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and broccoli make great cut-up snacks to dip in almond butter, peanut butter, or hummus. Snack on a small cup of vegetable soup. Snack on a few dehydrated vegetables between meals.
- Vegetable soups can be delicious and hide the veggies you don’t like. Try making a vegetable soup to pack in your daily servings. You can make this a few days ahead. You’ll find that they get tastier!
- Vegetable pasta can be delicious. This is an especially good idea for children who won’t eat their veggies! Substitute regular pasta for veggie pasta. You can find pasta made from various vegetables. You can also buy a spiralizer and make your own from carrots, zucchini, or beets!
- Try vegetable chips in place of potato chips. You can make your own crispy chips from kale, beets, or sweet potatoes. These are a favorite with children.
You can add vegetables to many everyday recipes for a healthier meal. For example, add peas to your child’s mac and cheese! Through in more vegetables the next time you make lasagna or a pasta sauce. Be creative!