Some people love them, some people hate them, and some are neutral. But most people don't get enough vegetables in their diets. Read on for tips and tricks to get more veggies into your diet!
If you're not super familiar with preparing fruits and vegetables, here are my top 5 tips for how you can incorporate more into your diet:
1. Choose frozen fruits/veggies: It's a common misconception that fresh produce is better for you than frozen. This is not true, and in fact sometimes frozen fruits and vegetables actually contain more nutrients because they are flash frozen at their peak ripeness. This way, you don't have to worry about your produce going bad before you can eat it.
2. Sautee or roast: boiling or steaming vegetables can lead to a higher loss of nutrients because many vitamins are water soluble. Using a dry heat method (like roasting or grilling) or using a small amount of oil or liquid will help preserve the vitamins and minerals so you get the most from your produce.
3. Have one serving at every meal and snack: if you have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day (which I highly recommend), having one fruit or vegetable at each is a great way to get in your 5 servings. Veggies sound weird at breakfast? Try cooking them into an egg scramble.
4. Sneak veggies into sauces, soups, or pastas: finely chopping up mushrooms or carrots and adding them to a pasta sauce, wilting spinach into a soup, or using a pasta made from chickpeas (like Banza) is a great way to sneak in veggies without you (or your family) noticing!
5. Shop in season: Veggies that are in-season are typically more nutrient dense because they haven't had to travel as far to get to the store and are more likely to be locally grown. They also tend to be lower cost! Plus, it's a fun way to find new veggies to try out.
Try New Things
Ultimately, it may take some trial and error to find veggies that you like. It can take up to 10 exposures to a new food to like it. If you're trying brussel sprouts for the first time and you didn't like them, try cooking them a different way next time! Use new flavors or baking methods to switch things up. Be patient and try new things, don't give up!
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