Smart Ways to Eat More Veggies

Americans are not eating enough vegetables.

The current recommendation is to consume 2-3 cups per day, but 87% of us do not meet this simple requirement. This is ashame, because veggies (and fruits) are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. They are low in calories and versatile, so there is no reason not to fit them into your day, all day.

Here are suggestions to help you up your game:

1. Buy tasty vegetables – This is probably the most important tip today. If your food doesn’t taste good, you won’t eat it. Vegetables can be amazing, but sometimes supermarket-bought produce tastes like plastic. Invest in tasty vegetables, even if they may sometimes be more expensive. Tell yourself that if you buy cheap vegetables and throw them out, you are actually paying more.

2. Make veggies available for when you will be hungry. There’s nothing worse than spending twenty minutes cutting up vegetables when your stomach is rumbling like an avalanche. Pre-wash, pre-cut, and basically prepare your veggies a day in advance, or in the morning, for the whole day.

3. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Cucumber slices become something else with just a few specks of salt dusted on top. The same goes for tomato slices.

4. Cherry tomatoes. Pre-wash and place these juicy beauties in a beautiful bowl near you – couch, countertop, anywhere you frequent throughout the day.

5. Baby carrots. Cheap, tasty, sweet, crunchy, and easy to eat. Always have some available in your home and office fridge.

6. Pre-washed greens mix.  For a quick and easy salad, open up a bag of pre-washed greens, toss in some cherry tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. 45 seconds flat. Note: this is more expensive than spending a few more minutes washing and shredding on your own. Time and money are interchangeable currencies when it comes to healthy eating.

7. Sautéed in your omelet. Onion, peppers, mushrooms. What else?

8. In your smoothie – spinach, kale, broccoli, and other greens can be added to any fruit smoothies to add some color and health. If you haven’t added veggies to fruit smoothies in the past, start with a small amount and increase over time.

9. Use lettuce leaves as sandwich bread.

10. Make mashed potatoes using cauliflower. Steam or boil the florets, but don’t overdo it or they’ll smell bad. Mash with a fork and add salt and olive oil to taste.

11. Dip raw broccoli or cauliflower florets in soy sauce. Unbelievably easy and tasty.