We all know that we must eat a balanced diet to lead the best quality of life possible. However, maintaining a consistently healthy diet is often easier said than done. We are constantly targeted by fast food ads. Convenience food is – as the name indicates – convenient, meaning we’re much more likely to reach for them than cooking up a storm in the kitchen. But you must get plenty of vegetables if nothing else. Here’s some information on the topic and some advice that could help!
Why Eat More Vegetables?
A diet rich in vegetables can ensure you get the proper nutrients into your body. It can fuel you and help you to thrive. Various studies have been conducted on the subject, finding mixed results, including claims that a vegetable-dense diet can lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease, minimize chances of experiencing a stroke, prevent some forms of cancer, increase eye health and reduce the experience of digestive problems. Vegetables can also help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels, help you to maintain healthy eating habits, and keep your appetite in good order.
5-A-Day
It’s recommended that you get five portions of fruit and vegetables into your diet each day. Five portions will ensure that you are getting enough variety in your diet. Remember that you can’t just eat five portions of carrots. Each portion needs to be a different type of vegetable. This maximizes well-being. Each portion should also roughly fill the size of your palm.
Know How to Prepare Your Veggies
A lot of people think that they don’t like vegetables. While this can be the case for a few, most people haven’t found suitable vegetables for them. Preparation is key. Cooking a vegetable the right way can make the difference between being delicious or soggy, tasteless or bland. Instead, you need to take some time to learn how to properly prepare and cook any vegetables you might want to eat. There are countless tutorials out there. From how to cook asparagus to whether to steam or boil broccoli.
Leave the Skins On
If you can leave the skin on your vegetables, you should. This is often the best part of the vegetable in terms of nutrition. Vegetable skins tend to be packed with nutritional fiber. Up to 31% of a vegetable’s total fiber can be found in its skin! Do what you can to keep skins on.
Smoothies
If you make smoothies, this is an excellent opportunity to work a few extra vegetables into your daily diet. Sure, we tend to associate smoothies with fruit, but vegetables also have their place in them. Veggies tend to work best in green smoothies. Add kale and spinach to smoothies with frozen fruit, ginger shots, flax seed, and other goodies. High-speed blenders create the best smoothies, as they can break down stalks while maintaining a smooth, enjoyable texture.
Snacks
Replace unhealthy snacks – such as biscuits, cakes, and crisps – with vegetable-based snacks. This is a great way to work extra veggies in each day. Be creative. Try pepper slices or carrots dipped in hummus. Bake your own vegetable crisps from carrots, beetroot, parsnip, and more.
Soups
Vegetables can be packed into soups easily. This is a warming meal that is perfect for the winter months. Good options include cream of tomato, butternut squash, chunky vegetable soup, and more. It can be tempting to go for canned options out of convenience, but often, you can get more nutrients from healthy, homemade options. High-speed blenders are a good idea for this too.
Pasta Sauces
Pasta sauces are another way to pack lots of vegetables into one meal. Blended tomatoes, chili, olives, and more. Choose to have them smooth or chunky. Again, homemade tends to be a better option, as you can monitor and manage what gets in. This can reduce excessive salt or sugar levels too. You could add more vegetables to your pasta-based dishes, such as vegetable lasagne with vegetable slices instead of pasta sheets.
Switch to Sweet Potato
Sweet potato is a healthier alternative to standard potatoes. Where possible, switch the standard potatoes out for their sweet alternatives. Baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato mash, and more are great options.
Hopefully, some of the tips above will help you to incorporate more vegetables into your diet!
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