Out of a desire for authenticity I try to practice what I preach to my clients. It helps me relate better to them and to the struggles they may have or stumbling blocks they encounter. Over the past month, as I have helped clients create new plans and goals for this year, I have heard myself say over and over-eat more vegetables! As a result, I am trying to follow suit and have found that it can be very difficult to do this consistently.
Peanut butter is a great way to extend the goodness of your celery and roasted veggies are the BEST!
Five veggies a day seems overwhelming at times, but just keep in mind that just a ½ cup of most cooked veggies (think ice cream scoop) or a whole cup (think of a baseball) of leafy greens counts as one serving. So, a nice sized salad takes care of one and a half servings!
So, here are some tips for getting more veggies in:
- Add veggies to your breakfast-make an omelet and add fresh or frozen veggies, or top your scrambled eggs with some salsa. Wrap it all in a tortilla if you need it to be portable!
- Include veggies on your sandwich at lunch or dinner, or better yet, wrap your sandwich choices in a leaf of lettuce or cabbage. Keep in mind, one leaf is not a serving, think a half inch thick layer of leaves, or a slice of tomato. If you are tired of salads, have some vegetable soup!
- When eating out, ask for a side salad or second veggie to replace the typical offerings of starches (fries, potatoes, rice, pasta).
- You can do the same for dinner, out typical map includes protein, veggie and starch. You can replace that starch with a salad or additional vegetable and feel just as satisfied — and less lethargic an hour later!
- Vegetables make great snacks! Plus, they are very portable and typically need little to no preparation. Add a healthy dip like hummus or enjoy the simplicity of their tastiness by themselves.
Helpful note: When eating these good carbs — yes, vegetables are carbs! — always include some protein or a bit of fat (butter/olive oil) to help these quick digesting nutrients last a bit longer in your system. All carbs are digested more quickly than protein and fat, but nutrient dense, less starchy choices are better and will fill you up longer when combined with a fat or protein.
There you have it, 5 ways to get all 5 servings of vegetables into your food plan-EVERY DAY!
If you have other tips concerning veggies or suggestions, leave a comment below or connect with me through facebook at YourBestFitnessFriend or email at suzy@ImYourBff.com
Until next time, be well!
Your Best Fitness Friend
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