7 Ways to Add More Vegetables

Everyone knows that vegetables should be a staple in your diet.  Unfortunately, with the way food is produced now, everyone is looking for convenience and satisfaction. You rarely hear someone say they are craving broccoli! But on the other hand, people often crave sugary and salty foods.

A great way to stop unhealthy cravings is to provide your body with the proper nourishment.  If your body is satisfied, you won’t crave the junk foods you do when you’re lacking nutrients.  Eating plenty of vegetables is a great way to properly nourish your body as well as lower blood pressure, boost your immune system, fight off cancer and improve your overall health.  

How many servings of vegetables should you get per day?  That’s a loaded question and it often gets mixed answers and debates.  If you ask any of the CCF Nutrition Challengers who participated in the 5 week challenge last month, they will tell you 3 is the goal!  I think that is an excellent place to start and you can always increase from there with the intention of getting to 5 servings consistently.

For some of you that may seem like a lot, so here are some ways you can make it easier to incorporate into your day:

1. Buy Veggies That Last - Stock your fridge with vegetables that last like carrots, cabbage, celery, onions, beets, and squash.  These all have a pretty long shelf life and can help you keep fresh options on hand longer.
2. Add Them to A Smoothie - Grab a handful of spinach and throw it in your morning smoothie.  I do this everyday and it sets me up to have 1-2 servings of vegetables already at breakfast.  I keep the spinach in the freezer so it lasts for a while.  
3. Frozen Vegetables Are Quick - Frozen vegetables are so convenient. They are already prepped, washed and cleaned, and last longer than fresh vegetables.  You can have them steamed on the stove or in the microwave in just a few minutes.  Frozen vegetables also allow you to get options that may not currently be in season.  
4. Add A Salad - Add a fresh salad to one meal per day to get a healthy mix of fresh greens.  You can even explore new flavors by starting to make your own salad dressings.  
5. Meal Prep Vegetables - When you do your weekly meal prep, don’t just do grains and proteins. Make a large batch of roasted vegetables to use throughout the week.  
6. Precut Vegetables - You can make yourself a raw vegetable tray to keep on hand for snacking.  Pack them with hummus or peanut butter for snacks on the go as well as pull them out when you need a snack at home.
7. Make a Comfort Soup - Making a vegetable the star of the meal is another way to add extra portions.  Roasted tomato soup has lots of tomatoes of course, but the recipe I use also has carrots, celery and onions.  This is something easy to prep for lunches too!

Try these strategies for incorporating more vegetables into your week and let us know how you do!

Coach Jana

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