Eat Your Fruits and Veggies!

So, your mom was right. You have got to eat your veggies. They are so good for you… vitamins, antioxidants, FIBER! You know how good plants are in your diet. You have heard that you should increase the number of fruits and vegetables on your plate. You want to incorporate more plants in your diet… but how? 

Here you go!

  • First, clean out your cupboards and clean out your fridge. When you get home from work and you need a quick snack, what is the first thing you go for? Is it just going to satisfy that need to put something in your mouth or is it going to nourish you? Is it what you want to put in your body? If not, toss it or give it away. Things to toss:
    • Processed foods
    • Refined grains 
    • Artificial sweeteners
    • Things with ingredients that you can’t pronounce or that don’t come from nature
    • Processed meats
  • Fill your fridge with good food. Real food! These are foods that are a product of nature – fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Look at ingredients. Can you read them all? If it is something that you aren’t familiar with, google it. Does it come from nature or a factory? Pick things that come from nature. 
  • Discover some good go-to snacks and put them front and center. When you are hungry and you head to the kitchen for a snack, you will be more likely to choose something good for your body if it is easy and right in front of you. 

A few of our favorites: 

  • Veggies and Hummus (pre-cut your veggies at a convenient time so that when you need a quick snack they are easy and ready)
  • Apples and peanut butter, or any nut butter
  • Just a good piece of fruit – leave a bowl of fruit on your kitchen table for easy access 
  • Roasted veggies – roast extra vegetables at dinner and save them for snacking later
  • Edamame with a tiny bit of salt
  • Look through your recipes- What plant-based meals do you already eat? Put those oldies but goodies to the top of your rotation more frequently.
  • Add vegetables to everything and double or triple the amount in your recipes. 
  • Buy that large bin of power greens, make a goal to use them all before they go bad by incorporating them into everything—fried rice, pasta dishes, whatever casserole you are making, sandwiches and wraps. 
  • Modify recipes you already love to incorporate more veggies and less meat. One of our staple meals is ramen. It is quick and easy. I love this recipe for homemade chicken ramen. When I started incorporating more plant-based meals, I modified it. I took out the chicken and eggs and added edamame and threw in some extra veggies. I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Still so good. 

Add any good tips or favorite recipes in the comments!

Leave a Comment