We all know it is important to get more fresh fruits and vegetables, but it can be a challenge. Some of us don’t like them at all. Others get in a bit of a rut with it and find it hard to integrate more fresh fruit and vegetables in different ways. Today, I am sharing some of the tips I use to get in more fresh fruits and vegetables.
Over the years I have gotten more and more creative with eating fruits and vegetables. As a result I have some tips that you may find helpful for adding more of these to every meal:
- Find ways to add fruit and veggies to every meal and snack.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment.v
- Dress them up, add flavor.
I was always pretty good about getting in vegetables at dinner, but not so much at other times of the day. As I got older, I made more efforts to increase my vegetable intake. However, one of the challenges I’d find is getting out of a rut about eating them or learning to eat more of them raw without tons of fattening dips or dressings. It takes time, especially if you are starting from not eating many fruits and vegetables at all. So, I have three tips that can help you eat more vegetables and fruit. You can build on this over time to increase your intake incrementally as you get used to it.
- Find ways to add fruit and veggies to every meal and snack.
Growing up, we always had some type of vegetable at dinner, usually steamed. So, it got burned in my brain that’s how you eat them and I got sort of boxed into this. Eventually I started adding vegetables to lunch, then snacks, and now I try to include them in every meal. So, here are a few things I do to do this:
- Add fruit and vegetables to my protein shakes in the morning. One of my go to recipes for post workout breakfast shake: kale leaves or spinach, half a banana, berries, oat milk or water and protein powder.
- Swap out the usual iceberg lettuce for kale on my sandwiches at lunch and swap out chips for carrot sticks, cucumber sticks or tomatoes. I also swap mayo for avocado. Salads with lots of fresh vegetables like romaine or butter lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and olives is another go-to.
- For snacks I pre-bag mixed fresh vegetables like mini peppers, carrots, and broccoli. If you aren’t there yet you can go for another protein shake, or make a low or fat free dip with Greek protein and some ranch seasoning or dill, cucumber, lemon, garlic and salt and pepper.
- For dinners, I find ways to incorporate vegetables into casseroles, pasta sauces, or rice dishes. You can also mix a bunch of different vegetables like squash, asparagus, mushrooms, and peppers and toss them in some seasonings you like with a little olive oil and roast them. It also makes for a great snack the next day.
- Add fruit and vegetables to my protein shakes in the morning. One of my go to recipes for post workout breakfast shake: kale leaves or spinach, half a banana, berries, oat milk or water and protein powder.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Get creative and try different ways of cooking vegetables or incorporating them into different things. Especially if you don’t really like vegetables (yet). It could be that you are used to only having tried them one way and that way may not have been the best way to try that vegetable the first time. One example of this for me is beets. I had only ever tasted the ones in the can as a kid, so I didn’t like them. It tasted like a tin can! However, when I started roasting them and boiling them fresh, I fell in love and they are one of my favorite things now. They are great for an energy boost and for adding some sweet to your shakes without adding lots of sugar. - Dress them up, add flavor.
If you’re just starting to add more vegetables and you don’t really like them (yet) then I’d suggest dressing them up initially. If this means using dips, then so be it. It is better to get more of them in, even if with a little added fat at times than to not eat them at all.
So, those are some of the tips I have used to increase my fruit and vegetable intake. The more you do this the more you will come to like them. They are so good for your health, it helps with weight loss immensely, and your energy will go through the roof. Your body will thank you when you give it the fuel it prefers, which is fresh fruits and vegetables. So, I hope this is helpful in getting in more fruits and vegetables. Give these tips a try and watch how this boosts your results.
As always, I would love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts in the comments. If you find this helpful and want to continue the pursuit of faith, fitness, and joy with me, please like and subscribe. You can also find all things mind, body, and soul health on the Faith Fitness Joy podcast and if you aren’t already in the private Facebook group, join today! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to see you in the comments and on the socials!