HOW TO EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES

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Yes, it seems everywhere you turn, health and wellness experts are telling you to eat more fruits and veggies.

You totally get it.

Yes, they’re full, and I mean FULL, of nutrition (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, etc.).

Yes, people who eat more fruits and vegetables live longer, healthier lives. Not to mention protecting their bodies and minds from just about every chronic disease out there.

Yes, eating more vegetables can help you maintain a healthy body weight, and even lose some fat (as long as you don’t bread and fry them, or cover them with cream sauce).

Your question is not “Should I eat more fruits and vegetables”, but “How can I actually do it?”

Believe me, as a health coach, I am chock full of amazing, creative, and delicious ways to help you eat more fruits and veggies.

Before we dive in, always start from where you are. If you are not used to any fruits and veggies, try for just two a day. Build up from there. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you need to overhaul your entire diet in one day. Wherever you’re at now, I challenge you to increase it by two per day.

Now let’s dive into my helpful ideas on exactly HOW to add more fruits and veggies to your diet!

SNEAK THEM IN TO OTHER DISHES

OK, this one may be, shall we say, “sneaky”, but I am all about your health so hear me out.

Some dishes are super easy to enhance with a a bit of strategically placed produce.

  • Add 1/2 apple, a handful of frozen spinach, or extra berries into your smoothie
  • Dice or shred up an extra bit of carrot, broccoli, zucchini, or pepper into your soup
  • How about chicken, tuna, or salmon salad? Dice up a stalk of celery and throw it in
  • Love to bake? How about substituting 1/4 cup of the sugar for 1/4 of unsweetened apple sauce?
  • Used to having a small salad? How about making it a bigger one?
  • Making tomato sauce? Add in some extra mushrooms  or peppers

MAKE THEM TASTE MORE DELICIOUS WITH A MEAL

  • Use veggies as your sandwich bread by making a lettuce wrap
  • Don’t be afraid to spice them up! Try sauteing them for 10 minutes with a drizzle of oil and flavor them with pepper, garlic, ginger, or cumin
  • Replace white rice with cauliflower rice. Make a fried cauliflower rice meal using coconut oil, cauliflower rice, carrots, onions, garlic, celery, mushrooms and egg and add some coconut aminos for flavor.

OPTING FOR THEM AS SNACKS

  • Why not throw a banana, apple or clementine into your lunch bag?
  • Ditch the chips and dip – instead try some carrot, celery, broccoli, cucumber, or cauliflower with a dip like hummus, guacamole, or babaganoush?
  • Love sweetened yogurt? Try whole fat plain Greek yogurt and some of your own berries
  • Need some protein? Add some sugar free all natural almond butter to a green apple or a green tipped banana

YOUR CHALLENGE

Take two of these suggestions and try them tomorrow. Just add two more fruits and veggies to the number you are at today. Two more.

And if you’re not an instant fan, well, try again. Research shows that sometimes it takes our taste buds several tries before actually liking a new flavor. Try it, you might find some new faves.

Got kids? These suggestions will work for them too. It will be even more fun if they have mom and dad trying it with them.