4 Simple Ways to Sneak in More Veggies Every Day

If you’re like most people, you might believe that eating healthy requires a lot of work. From planning out meals to grocery shopping to buying quality ingredients – it can seem like a massive effort.

We all know that eating the right foods, especially vegetables, is essential to better health. But what if you don’t like all the shopping, chopping, and prepping? It takes some practice to infuse health into your day on a daily basis. Are there simple ways to add more veggies into your daily routine?

Here are my 4 favorite simple ways to add veggies into your daily routine…

1.  Use Veggies to Kick Off Your Day

Vegetables are not just for lunch and dinner. Kick off every morning with veggies on your plate.  Throw a handful of kale into your morning smoothie or use last night’s leftover veggies to whip up an omelet or even add butternut squash or tomatoes as a side with your eggs. There are numerous ways to add veggies to your morning meal, and getting them in early means you’re well on your way to eating the recommended daily servings of veggies (ideally 8-11 serving of vegetables and fruits each day) by dinner time.

2. Go for Frozen

Fresh veggies look beautiful, but chopping and preparing vegetables from scratch isn’t always practical. Stock up on frozen veggies. Believe it or not, sometimes the nutrient content of frozen vegetables is better than fresh, since vegetables are frozen immediately after harvest. Choose fast cooking methods with minimal water like steaming, blanching or stir-frying to retain the most nutrients from your frozen vegetables. With a variety of frozen vegetables on hand, there is no room for excuses when you’re in a rush!

3. Double Up

When you’re preparing salads, soups, pasta sauce, or a healthy casserole, double the amount of vegetables in the recipe. One of my favorite ways to “sneak” in extra veggies into my pasta sauces and chili is to chop them finely in my blender or food processor. These veggies enhance the flavor and nutritional value, so it’s a win-win!

4. Join the #MeatlessMonday Movement

#MeatlessMonday is a non-profit initiative encouraging people around the world to go meatless one day a week for their health and the health of the planet. Did you know that this initiative dates back to World War I? The goal was to reduce consumption of key staples to aid the war effort and over 13 million families signed the pledge!⁽¹⁾ This initiative is an excellent way to get more veggies onto your plate every week, and it’s simple. Cut out meat on Mondays and dedicate your plate to more vegetables, beans, legumes and fruits. If Monday is not convenient, pick another day that works for you. Not only will you be lowering your grocery bill and getting more nutrients by eating more veggies, but you’re also trying something new. As they say, variety is the spice of life!

Vegetables are a fabulous source of beneficial nutrients for your body.  When you cut back on processed foods and “sneak” more vegetables into your regular routine – you’re making better choices that set you up for a longer lifetime filled with healthy habits.

Recipe

Why not try some new greens this month? Here’s a delicious recipe for Dandelion Greens with a Warm Hazelnut Vinaigrette. If you aren’t ready to try dandelion greens, substitute swiss chard or another green with this delectable vinaigrette!

Simple, no fuss, healthy meals 

Want to eat delicious, gourmet, healthy meals, but don’t have time to prep, cook and clean up?  Zing Meals has you covered! Order your Zing Meals by Monday at 11am for Tuesday afternoon delivery in Berkeley Heights, Chatham, Madison, Mountainside, New Providence and Summit, with pick-up available in East Hanover and New Providence.

I hope this note has sparked some ideas. What’s on the plate next week for Meatless Monday? I’d love to hear your ideas, so hit reply and let me know what you’ll be cooking!

Yours in wellness,

Elizabeth