Vegetables are a vital component of your physical and mental health, so listen to your mother (and your doctor) and add more of them into your diet. Higher vegetable consumption has been a staple of the medical community for ages…
However, increasing fiber intake, potassium, folic acid, and vitamins C and A doesn’t sound incredibly fun. (This is especially true for kids, but adults also turn up their noses at the idea of a plant-based diet.)
What if you could effortlessly integrate more vegetables into your and your family’s diet? When you read this article, you’ll find that splicing in a bit more greenery into your diet is a very simple task.
There are more than enough reasons to eat more vegetables and transition to a plant-based diet, but just to show you what’s at stake:
- Higher vegetable consumption decreases high blood pressure.
- Vegetables cut down on hunger pangs that happen between meals.
- Adding more vegetables to your diet is proven to help control and lose weight.
- Vitamin A protects against infection and benefits eye and skin health.
- Vitamin C speeds up the healing process and improves teeth and gum health.
Needless to say, vegetables are practically medicine—proactive medicine that halts diseases before they start.
If you’re still unsure how you can eat more vegetables without adding to your grocery bills or seeing resistance from family members, here are 10 ways to do exactly that.
- Use a Tower Garden. Aeroponic tower gardens are a wonderful way to grow your own vegetables. The structure is so compact that it can fit on your porch or fire escape. It’s like a flourishing garden right outside your front door.
- Make festive salads. Food should be fun, especially if you’re trying to get kids to consume more vegetables. Come together with your family to see the vegetable concoctions you can create.
- Put vegetables in your omelets. Ditch the mound of cheese and replace it with vegetables that make an omelet even more scrumptious. When you partner vitamins A and C and fiber with the protein found in eggs, you have an ideal meal.
- Enjoy a smoothie. Throw a few carrots or a bunch of kale into your fruit smoothies. Call it sneaky, but it works. Plus, if you and/or your family aren’t huge fans of vegetables, the taste of fruit often overpowers vegetables.
- Use vegetables as snack food. When the afternoon hunger hits, make it a point to toss out the potato chips and replace them with carrot sticks. Make this practice a habit, and you’ll facilitate better weight control.
- Check out farmer’s markets. Head out to town and walk around a bustling farmer’s market. You’ll discover new vegetables grown by local farmers. Plus, you’ll contribute to the local economy.
- Let kids select vegetables at the store. Kids like to be involved, so why not let them pick a few groceries?
- Include vegetables in every meal—no matter what. This one speaks for itself. Cut down on your meat and starch portion sizes, and make up for it with vegetables.
- Throw vegetables on the grill. If you’re having an impromptu barbecue, swap out a few meats for vegetables. Charred vegetables have a new and different texture that enhances the flavor.
- Make healthy marinara. Several sauces are packed with calories, fat, and sugar. Use tomatoes to make marinara instead.
