5 Tips to Eat More Vegetables

We hear this all the time “eat more vegetables” or “eat a plant based diet” but how do we actually do that? What does it look like?

The recommended intake of vegetables for adults is 2 – 3 servings per day. According to the CDC, only 1 in 10 adults get enough fruits or vegetables. (1) This is definitely a struggle for most people! What’s a serving? Well glad you asked because there is sometimes confusion around this: One serving of veggies is 1 cup of raw vegetables, 2 cups of leafy greens or 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables. This can be hard for some people to hit on a daily basis which is why I put together a list of 5 tips on how to actually eat more vegetables.

1. Always have frozen veggies on hand! Not only are frozen veggies cheaper, but they are great for when you eat all your fresh produce or you go to reach for that salad bag and it’s already spoiled. An easy tip I give my clients is throw some frozen broccoli or other frozen veggie in a bowl, cover it with a damp paper towel and microwave it for a few minutes until steamed! This is an easy quick add on for dinner or lunch. You can also add frozen veggies to stir-fries, roast in the oven (yup you can roast frozen veggies!) or throw on a frozen pizza before baking.

2. Grow veggies in a garden or pot on the patio. What to grow in your garden will vary widely where you live but for example, okra, beets, swiss chard, and peppers are just a handful of the veggies that grow well here in Texas. Some easy patio produce to grow in a pot are green beans or cherry tomatoes. Not only can this be relaxing/stress relieving to garden and grow your own food, it’s an easy way to get connected to your food, appreciate your vegetables, and have easy access to fresh produce!

3. Keep produce at eye level in fridge. This tip comes in handy a lot because I hear this all the time from my clients: “I buy veggies but then I forget to eat them and they go bad.”  I think we can all relate to this. We buy that bag of brussels sprouts with good intentions and then find them 2 weeks later after they’re spoiled at the bottom of the fridge. In the veggie drawer, they can be out of sight, out of mind. Keep that bag of baby carrots or pouch of snap peas on an open shelf you actually see when you open the fridge. This will help you be more likely to grab them for a snack or throw in with a meal.

4. Cook or eat veggies you actually like with seasonings or dips you prefer. Listen to your body, if you are tired of eating the same salad or veggies then MIX IT UP! Get a different variety of veggies you like, try some new seasonings/flavors you love like garlic, cumin, lemon, teriyaki, ginger, etc. You are likely to eat more vegetables if you make them exciting and enjoy eating them. If you’re thinking “hey, that’s great Chrissy but I don’t like any veggies” my advice is to keep trying them different ways. Exposure is key! It can take people up to 15 times to try something before they learn to like it. Additionally, taste buds evolve so don’t give up!

5. Add some veggies to a morning smoothie. A good mild option that doesn’t change the flavor too much is a handful of frozen cauliflower or raw spinach. This way you jump start the day with some nourishing veggies in your system that energize you, provide you with vitamins/minerals, and fiber– a prebiotic (AKA the food that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract).

I hope these 5 tips to eat more vegetables were helpful and you’re able to start implementing them to get the recommended servings per day!

Do you already do any of these tips? Is eating vegetables a struggle for you? Let us know!

Needing more in depth guidance and help? Contact me for a one-on-one where we can dive deeper to figure out where you’re at and where you want to be with your wellness goals!

1. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html#:~:text=Depending%20on%20their%20age%20and,of%20a%20healthy%20eating%20pattern