Eat your veggies!  Your mom said it and I bet you say it now, if you are a parent!  This is one of the best HACKS you can make to your HABITS-As we move into Day 18 of our 21 Days of Habit Hacks.  The trouble with vegetables is that we (THINK we) don’t like them.  That was definitely me!  Twenty-five years ago I think the only vegetables I recognized were green beans, corn, carrots (uncooked), potatoes (favorite!) and maybe spinach (from a can-ugh!) Most were from a can, actually, few fresh or frozen.  I know, it may be tough to get the whole family on the same page about this.  But there are a few ways you can ‘hide’ the veggies you are feeding them, or ways you can prepare them to make them more appealing to a variety of palates, young and old.

Filling up on veggies will help you feel full and keep you from eating too much of the ‘bad stuff’ during the holidays!

• Start young-this is absolutely first on the list-you will have better luck getting your kids hooked on veggies if you start them out with a variety and you can make them kid friendly by starting with pureed when they are wee ones.
• Add them to soups, stews and sauces. If you puree veggies and add them to these items, they won’t realize they are eating veggies, even when they ‘pick’ around them.  Use these pureed vegetables to thicken any sauces, gravies or rue.
• Buy pasta made from vegetables. Barilla sells these and they are equivalent to a serving of veggies-and everyone loves a bit of pasta (and the taste is not impacted).
• Add extra veggies to traditional meals like lasagna, spaghetti, and casseroles. Again, you can add the actual vegetables or a puree of a variety and they will never know.
• Add spinach or kale or other veggies to smoothies-a double duty treat with fruits and veggies-along with dairy if you use greek yogurt as your base!
• Change up some casseroles. I have a couple of mac n’ cheese recipes that use either squash or cauliflower (etc.) instead of pasta.
• Lastly, blatantly ‘hide’ them under a layer of pasta sauces or cheeses. Just make sure you don’t lose the nutrients-use homemade, reduced fat versions.

This is the perfect time of year to increase your veggie intake.  With the holidays upon us, extra vegetables can serve as ‘fillers’ and can help you eat less of the ‘bad stuff’.   As they say, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the best holidays of the year. Don’t let that fool you into losing momentum and progress toward your goals of healthy weight and feeling great.

Keep up the great work and stay tuned for our last few Habit Hacks!

Your Best Fitness Friend