My brother and I were chatting a few years ago and he said the secret to every fad diet is to eliminate certain foods and encourage one to eat a high quantity of another. Diets have always had little appeal to me as I am basically a vegetable junkie, but I find I disregard any diet that encourages one to avoid vegetables of any kind.
If you are considering starting some sort of fad diet, instead try increasing your vegetable consumption, as much as possible. When your plate is abundantly full of produce it is a challenge to eat too much of the extra stuff.
Here are a few ideas to get you on track:
Veggie Breakfasts of Champions:
Most of us skip the veggies for breakfast and opt for a grain based start. Here are a few tips for incorporating more nutrients, even if they are coming from fruit, to start your day.
The Breakfast Scramble: Saute a few vegetables, add beaten eggs or crumbled tofu with nutritional yeast & a few spices. Cook through, until hot & steamy. Here is a recipe at Lilly’s Table for a simple tofu scramble with carrots.
Veggies in your Smoothie?: If you like a sweet start, but want a boost of chlorophyll try tossing in a handful of greens into any morning smoothie. My favorite is the Kale Date Smoothie. But, don’t stop with green smoothies. Red Velvet Beet Smoothie or the Carrot Cake Smoothie sound decadent, but they are boosting with nutrients.
Vegetable Juices: A vita-mixer or vegetable juicer will get the job down easily and you can start your day with more energy than any cup of joe could possibly serve. Mix and match your favorites with a nice balance of sweeter (fruit, carrots, etc.) and the stronger vegetables (greens such as kale, beets, ginger, etc.).
Veggie Packed Lunch:
Thinly slice a ton of vegetables to quickly grab and toss into salads or layer into sandwiches.
When making Sandwiches always try to add at least two to three different vegetables. Some of our favorites include: lettuce, sprouts, shredded carrots or beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and more. What are your favorites? Comment below and let me know!
Make homemade Hummus blended with vegetables such as this Beet Hummus.
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Herb Dressings with yogurt are perfect for dipping any combination of sliced vegetables.
Chop up a ton of vegetables as in the photo above. This can be added to leafy greens for a bigger salad, tossed with seeds, nuts and finally your favorite dressing. This will last a few days to keep you supplied with vegetables. This will be a great side for dinner, too.
Dinner with Vegetable Bonus:
Plan to enjoy two vegetable side dishes, cooked if your lunch was raw. Your body will get bonus points if your main dish has veggies in it as well.
Plan to always have a simple salad with dinner. Get creative with your greens and go beyond lettuce with Creamy Ginger Kale Salad. It is easy to shred in or slice vegetables to go with any salad.
Make vegetables the star of your main dish. Too often we center our meals around the meat or protein. But, if you start with the available vegetables first the meat is easy to add as a garnish offering you plenty of protein in the process and a greater nutritional punch with the veggie abundance.
Fruity Sweet Dessert:
Try a bowl of fresh seasonal fruit. Try it baked with a crumble of granola on top. Alternatively, toss a salad of fresh fruit and splash with lime, sprinkle of fresh mint, crumble of nuts, drizzle of yogurt or granola
If you enjoy snacks, challenge yourself to incorporate at least one vegetable and fruit. Veggie sticks with yogurt dip or nut butters is a great place to start.
One final thought… as renowned nutritionist Marion Nestle states: “What we know about diets hasn’t changed. It still makes sense to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, balance calories from other foods, and keep calories under control. That, however, does not make front-page news.” Just remember the best path to health is through an abundance of produce.
What are your own tips and tricks for incorporating more veggies into your diet? Please comment below and help expand this list of possibilities!