Eat more vegetables?! Willingly? WHY!
Everyone is familiar with the movie scene featuring kids being forced by their parents to eat these horrible “green trees” and then furtively feeding these trees to the dog, who seems void of any dietary preferences.
This aversion to vegetables isn’t reserved for the kiddos. Too many adults are constantly undernourished because they don’t get the micronutrients the body needs from vegetables!!!
Getting in an abundance of fruits and vegetables is so important because they are rich in antioxidants, which kill free-radicals, and high levels of vitamins that are essential for a healthy body.
It’s no surprise that most Americans do not get adequate servings of these foods, inhibiting their own ability to fight off inflammation, disease vulnerability, energy, and aging.
You will not only look leaner and more trim when you eat more vegetables, but you will more importantly FEEL your best.
If you or your kids have simply grown to have a distaste for most vegetables, or the word ‘salad’, there are still many ways to get in a sufficient daily dose of veggies without making anyone miserable.
1) Smoothies/Smoothie Bowls
If you buy a pre-made smoothie from a store or restaurant, it’s likely to have a whole lot more fruit than vegetables. Fruit is great, but all that concentrated sugar does not make for a very balanced meal or snack.
Instead, try substituting 1/2 of your normal amount of fruit for some vegetables.
Yeah, you read that right!
There are many vegetables that absorb the sweetness of the fruit and aren’t conspicuous in smoothies: spinach, cauliflower, zucchini, sweet potatoes (actually enhances the sweetness), and squash, to name a few.
I personally ALWAYS include spinach and shredded zucchini in my smoothies and I love how it allows me to eat more vegetables so early in the morning.
*Bonus Tip*- Freezing your vegetables and fruits before adding them into your smoothies will increase the thickness of your drink, creating an ice cream like texture!
To make smoothies more filling, add in some kind of plant based protein powder.
Here are some of my favorites!
The Protein and Greens powder is my favorite; packed with alfalfa, broccoli, kale, and spinach- and you can’t even taste it!!!No Udder Protein is another really great option for plant based protein. Use code- ZAHRA to get $$ off your order!
-Here are some of my personal favorite smoothie recipes that include vegetables:
Green Goodness Smoothie
-Frozen banana
-Frozen pineapple
-Fresh/Frozen spinach
-Shredded zucchini
-Splash of almond milk
-Ice
-Vanilla Plant- based protein powder
Berry Well Smoothie
-Frozen, destemmed kale
-Frozen mixed berries (get mine in a big bag from Costco)
-1/2 Frozen banana
-Splash of almond milk
-Ice
Decadent Delight Smoothie
– Cooked then frozen Sweet Potato
– 1 to 2 tbsp nut butter
– Cinnamon
– Splash of almond milk
– 1/2 frozen banana
– Ice
2) Savory Dishes
-Instead of using chicken stock, switch over to vegetable stock;it is usually made up of veggies like onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and herbs/spices.
– Soup it up! Soups are an amazing comfort food and they are almost always easy to make. Best of all, you can literally add any vegetable into soup and make it taste good. I regularly make an ‘Everything but the Kitchen Sink’ soup when I need to use up produce that is about to expire.
Add in lentils, beans, or tofu to the soup for a healthy plant-based protein source that will keep you full and nourished.
– Here are links to a couple of my favorite plant based recipes that rely on vegetables to mimic popular dishes that are typically filled with heavy cream, dairy, and cheese:
-Cauliflower Alfredo
– Try out this delicous and simple recipe by Kristen from the Endless Meal:
-Mac ‘n’ Cheeze
– This recipe for creamy Mac n Cheeze is soooo yum, from Lindsay’s blog Vegan Yumminess:
3) Sweetness
Because who doesn’t love dessert?!
-One of the best ways to add to the thickness or creaminess of a dessert is to add Avocado! This healthy source of fat provides you with healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, and vitamins C and E.
– Try this recipe for Chocolate Mousse created by Elena from As Easy As Apple Pie:
-Zucchini is another great addition to baked goods and sweets because of its moisture and fluffiness.
– Check out the recipe for these Incredible Vegan Brownies by Brandi from The Vegan 8:
Make sure to give some love to the recipe creators who I have linked throughout this post. The delicious recipes featured here make it so easy and YUMMY to incorporate more veggies into your everyday meals.
Let me know if you’re successful in sneaking in some more vegetables into your meals….. and let me know YOUR favorite recipes that are plant based and rich in vegetables.
Thanks for reading,
xx ZB