Fact remains: for better gut health, eat more vegetables! Today we’re talking how to eat seven servings of vegetables in a day!
What counts as a serving?
1 cup of leafy greens or 1/2 cup cooked/chopped/raw. While I don’t recommend actually measuring every single time you eat (that is not sustainable), aiming to make at least half your plate veggies will get you there. Feel free to measure if you’re new to increasing your vegetable intake to get a feel for where you’re at or what a serving size looks like.
Tips and tricks to up your intake:
- Aim to add some sort of vegetable to every meal.
- Sneak it in where you may not think. Ex: smoothies, soups, muffins, sauces, etc.
- Replace noodles with “zoodles”.
- Keep washed, cut veggies in the fridge ready to eat.
BREAKFAST ideas that include veggies (1-2 servings):
- Smoothies. They are a great way to get in a ton of nutrients. Add greens such as spinach or kale, riced frozen cauliflower or frozen zucchini (both will get a creamy texture). I’ve even seen a smoothie recipe that calls for sweet potato.
- Eggs. Omelettes, egg bakes, quiche, scrambled…the possibilities are endless. Greens, peppers, onions, even broccoli are all delicious in an egg dish.
- Sweet potato hash. Often times this dish has a variety of vegetables along with eggs and is a great way to start your day.This recipe looks amazing.
LUNCH ideas that include veggies: (2-3 servings)
- Dill chicken salad. Make a big batch for the week. This recipe is delicious.
- Wraps. Add greens, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, micro-greens.
- Leftovers. My favorite lunch when days are busy.
- Summer Berry Salad. This salad is so so yummy and refreshing, especially on a summer day.
SNACK ideas that include veggies: (1-2 servings)
- Veggie tray with hummus. Add a variety for a variety of nutrients: carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, celery, sugar snap peas, etc.
- Carrots or celery with nut butter.
- Smoothie.
- Guacamole. Add tomato, onion and cilantro to get veggies in.Get a guacamole recipe here.
- Mango salsa.
- Fresh garden salsa or restaurant style salsa with organic blue corn chips.
- Salty, crunch kale chips.
DINNER ideas that include veggies: (2-3 servings)
- Grilled chicken with a side of roasted carrots and this delicious fall apple salad.
- Sausage, sweet potato and broccoli sheet pan meal.
- Egg roll in a bowl. This one pan dish includes cabbage, carrots and onions. Tastes just like an egg roll. In a bowl, of course. 😉
- Pair any protein (chicken, steak, shrimp) with a nice salad, roasted vegetables and green beans with mushrooms.
Have fun and get creative!
The key here is to include vegetables with every meal. Use a variety of veggies to get a variety of nutrients. Eat them cooked, raw, steamed, sauted, roasted.
Let me know in the comments:
- Do you eat enough vegetables?
- What are creative ways you use to increase your veggie intake?
