Are you consuming enough produce daily? Harvard Health says eating five servings of vegetables and fruits daily is good for optimal health.
While some people enjoy vegetables, others abhor that category of food. The thing is, however, that achieving a suitable level of health requires eating vegetables in the right quantities.
Nature offers abundant variety with estimates suggesting there are 20,000+ species of edible plants. So, if you claim to dislike vegetables, odds are you’re not trying hard enough.
Broadening your horizons and trying different kinds of produce, whether from the U.S. or elsewhere, might change your tune quickly.
But here’s the thing. Even if you enjoy incorporating veggies into your meals, there’s a chance you’re not eating enough of them. Remember that five servings is what you should aim for. You don’t have to eat like a field-grazing herbivore to get all the benefits of vegetables you need — you just need to eat more lettuce, tomatoes, Swiss chard, and other produce.
Here are three ways you can effortlessly incorporate more vegetables into your meals — even if you’re not a fan of produce.
1. Start Breakfast Off on the Right Note
While some people skip breakfast — perhaps limiting themselves to one or two cups of coffee — that’s a poor start to your day.
You don’t have to eat a ton, but breakfast is recommended for a reason. “Breakfast” is literally the time to “break” your “fast.” After “fasting” during your seven or eight hours of sleep at night, breakfast time is about giving your body the nourishment it needs.
There are tons of ways to incorporate veggies into your breakfast. If you enjoy scrambled eggs for omelets, add fresh mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocados, and other produce to create a mouth-watering meal. It’s one way to start your day with a few servings of vegetables.
Another way you can incorporate veggies into breakfast is to add shredded zucchini or carrots into your home-baked muffins or oatmeal. It’ll be yummy for your tummy and healthy.
2. Add Produce to Sauces and Soups
Another way to consume more produce without trying too hard is to add pureed veggies into sauces and soups.
Do you enjoy spaghetti or lasagna? If so, puree leafy greens, zucchini, leeks, carrots, and other vegetables and add them to the pasta sauce. Of course, you don’t have to puree the produce if you don’t want to. There’s nothing wrong with chopping and cooking them with the pasta sauce.
You can also add veggies to your soups. Blend various kinds of produce and add them to whatever soup you’re whipping up. You can have the soup by itself, with sandwiches, or as one course of a multi-course meal.
3. Use Veggie Noodles or Wraps
Yet another strategy you can use to incorporate more vegetables into your meals is to swap regular pasta noodles for spiralized zucchini, sweet potato, or some other vegetable.
You can enjoy an especially healthy meal and introduce your tastebuds to some reimagined pasta dishes.
As for wraps, use lettuce instead of bread. Take a nice-sized piece of lettuce, load your favorite toppings, and wrap the lettuce like you would a burrito wrap. Swapping the bread for lettuce might take some getting used to, but remember that the stars of the show are the toppings.
4. Load Your Pizza with Veggies
Just about everyone likes pizza. If you enjoy eating pizza, consider using a veggie-based crust and topping the pizza with lots of fresh vegetables. If you already enjoy veggie lover’s pizza, it won’t be hard to add a wider variety of produce or increase the amount of vegetables. But even if you prefer pizzas with lots of meat, you can add some vegetables that complement the meat.
As great as pizza is, it can cost a small fortune if you always get it from a neighborhood pizzeria. One option to combat this is to buy an outdoor pizza oven. These outdoor kitchen appliances reach higher temperatures than is possible with your indoor oven, so the pizzas will be restaurant-quality. In addition to cooking your pizzas in an outdoor pizza oven, you can cook other healthy meals in them as well.
As you can see, there are ways you can add more vegetables to your meals. It doesn’t have to be difficult. Consider the four options above and look at other ways to add veggies to your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Reply