Vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. They help reduce the risk of chronic disease, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, and more.
The recommended daily intake of vegetables is 2-3 cups, but a 2017 CDC study found that 90% of adults in the US don't eat enough vegetables .
With so many processed food options available today, getting enough vegetables into your diet can be difficult, especially if you don't like vegetables.
To help you live a healthier lifestyle, here are 14 ways to eat more vegetables (without having to eat salad at every meal). Just incorporate one of these tips into your daily routine and you'll find yourself feeling healthier and happier.
1. Keep Vegetables in a Visible Place
If you can't see it, you won't remember it. If you leave your vegetables in the fridge drawer, you may forget about them. Instead, put them in a visible place in the fridge. The next time you open the fridge to find a snack, you'll see fresh vegetables.
2. Prepare Now
When you get home from the grocery store or market, wash, peel, and cut vegetables immediately before storing them. This is especially true for carrots, lettuce, peas, and celery. Divide them into small bags or containers for easy access.
3. Juice
Juicing is an easy way to consume a variety of raw vegetables. Your body will quickly absorb the soluble fiber and nutrients from the vegetables without having to digest the insoluble fiber. Both types of fiber are important for a healthy diet, so be sure to follow the other tips in this article.
You will get the highest quality juice with a slow juicer , which gently crushes the ingredients to preserve valuable nutrients and enzymes.
If you are new to juicing, you can add an apple or other fruit to sweeten the juice. Gradually, you will find it easier to reduce the amount of fruit. Soon you will crave the taste of pure vegetable juice!
4. Increase breakfast
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A green juice orsmoothie for breakfast will give you a dose of veggies before you're fully awake. If you like eggs in the morning, add some bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach to your omelet.
5. Make Soup
In addition to juices and smoothies, soups are another way to enjoy vegetables. Turn vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin into creamy soups, or add chopped vegetables to canned soups or broths.
6. Bake instead of boil
If vegetables aren't your thing, an overcooked head of broccoli will just sit cold on your plate.
Roasting vegetables enhances flavor and makes them crispier. Brush broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, or asparagus with a light coating of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice (optional). Roast at 425°F (about 220°C) for about 20-30 minutes.
7. Add spices
Let your vegetables be the vehicle for a great salad dressing. If you don't like bottled dressings, most salad dressings are easy to make with ingredients you already have at home.
A quick vinaigrette can be made by mixing ¼ cup lemon juice, ⅓ cup olive oil, a minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad for a delicious side dish.
8. Make vegetable noodles
Spiralize zucchini, carrots, or sweet potatoes to create vegetable noodles. These noodles don't need to be cooked, so they're a great way to eat raw vegetables.
Another vegetable pasta that lives up to its name: spaghetti squash. This one is surprisingly easy to make and has a neutral flavor.
9. Add sauce
You'll need something to go with your vegetable noodles! Adding vegetables to tomato sauce is one of the easiest ways to get more veggies into your meal.
Try adding chopped celery, bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms to homemade tomato sauce. Or, just saute them in a little olive oil before stirring the sauce from the jar. You can also make a flavorful pesto with kale or spinach.
10. Use frozen vegetables
This is the perfect option for the winter months or when fresh vegetables are not available. Frozen vegetables are harvested and frozen at their peak of ripeness, so they are just as nutritious as fresh vegetables. You can thaw them and prepare them the same way you would prepare fresh vegetables. Juice, roast, bake, blend, the choice is yours!
You can even make healthy fruit popsicles with frozen fruit.
11. Serve with dipping sauce
A delicious dip that will make even veggie haters want to try a carrot stick. Dip fresh veggies in avocado, soy, or homemade ranch dressing.
12. Try lettuce wraps
Replace bread, pita, or tortillas with a large lettuce leaf. Lettuce rolls add a satisfying crunch and freshness to sandwiches and tacos.
13. Snack on vegan potato chips
Who doesn't love potato chips? Bake or air fry thin slices of carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and beets for a savory snack. For extra crunch, roast kale in the oven or air fryer to make kale chips.
14. Add to desserts
You read that right: you can eat vegetables for dessert (and still enjoy them). Add chopped vegetables (or the juice) to muffins, breads, and other baked goods, like beet brownies .
There are many more ways to enjoy vegetables, but these 14 are a great place to start. With a little creativity and practice, you can make your taste buds love vegetables more. Your body will thank you!
