Sneaky Ways to Eat More Vegetables

We all know how important it is to eat our vegetables. Generally, a well-balanced meal should be at least 1/2 vegetables because they’re super dense with vitamins, minerals and fiber. But eating enough veggies can sometimes be a challenge.

Maybe you don’t like salads, or your kids are picky eaters. Thankfully there are many creative ways to sneak vegetables into your diet without just eating an iceberg lettuce salad or steamed greens. Let’s go over a few tips and tricks that will help you and your family eat more of this important food group.

Several Easy Ideas:

• Use veggies as a pre-meal snack.

We all know kids (and often adults) can be hungry and looking for a snack prior to getting dinner ready. Go ahead and put out an assortment of pre-cut vegetables with some dip to make it easy to enjoy. Perhaps involve the kids in creating the fruit and vegetable charcuterie board.

• Pre-clean and cut your vegetables.

To make it easy to grab and go at any time of day, whether packing a lunch for work or after school snack. Try to clean and cut your vegetables into easy to eat portion sizes right after you get home from the grocery store. My husband actually loves grabbing a selection of 3 or 4 different vegetables every day for lunch because they are so simple and ready to go.

• Try a vegetable stir-fry.

Stir-fries are a solid option if someone is a picky eater. You can combine different types of vegetables and proteins with a sauce, and the result is a combination of textures with vegetables soaking up the flavors pf the sauce. You can also experiment with different spices and seasonings to find something your family enjoys.

• Substitute grains and carbs with vegetables.

If you like noodles, you can try swapping in zucchini or spaghetti squash “noodles” to get a boost of veggies. You can also choose bread with vegetables baked in such as zucchini bread.  At this time of year in Minnesota, zucchini is abundant!!

• Puree your greens.

This is a great way to sneak veggies into liquid foods like soups, sauces, dressings, or dips without the texture of whole vegetables. When you lightly steam your veggies and puree them in a food processor or blender, you can add a serving of vegetables to just about anything. Try adding pureed veggies to tomato bisque or other favorite soups. You can also create a veggie dip or hummus to accompany your favorite chips or crackers.

• Drink your vegetables.

Are you a fan of smoothies? All you need is a blender to upgrade your smoothie or juice with some veggies. It is easy to add a handful of spinach to almost any recipe and your really don’t notice a flavor change.

• Try roasting your vegetables instead of steaming.

The process of roasting veggies enhances the flavor without making them soggy or mushy.  We love cubed beets, sweet potatoes, carrots and cauliflower drizzled with olive oil and topped with a herb and garlic seasoning. Roast for about 45 minutes and you have an easy addition to any dinner. (check the recipe section of this blog site for details)

• Add a scoop of greens powder.

Another easy way to add greens to anything is with Organic Greens Booster. One tiny scoop contains the same goodness of a cup of raw, organic, nutrient-rich green vegetables, including kale, spinach, and broccoli, with all the fiber intact. Just add a scoop to your smoothies, soups, sauces, or baked goods to get an extra serving of greens. The choice is yours!

• Aim for variety

We often encourage people to “eat the rainbow” because the different colors of fruits and vegetables actually provide different classes of nutrients, and your body craves them all. In fact, there is a general rule that the deeper the color, the more the goodness!