3 Tips to Add More Vegetables to Your Day

One of the most common lifestyle heath goals people have is to add more vegetables to their everyday nutrition. The recommendation for healthy adults is to consume 2 ½ to 3 cups of vegetables each day. But according to a CDC report from 2017, only 1 in 10 American adults met this requirement in 2015. That may seem like a lot, but it can easily be accomplished by making a few changes and a few additions to your day. Read on for 3 tips to incorporate more vegetables into your day!

1.       Power up your smoothie or protein shake.

If you have a smoothie with breakfast or a protein shake after your workout, you can easily add a few vegetables that won’t change the taste. Try blending in some spinach into a smoothie or pureeing an avocado into your shake for extra creaminess. Once you add in fruit, milk, and your protein powder, you’ll get the nutritional benefits of the added vegetables and a great tasting shake!

2.       Have a meatless dinner once a week.

“Meatless Mondays” have been trending a lot recently and with good reason. An easy way to add more vegetables to a meal is to make them the shining star. By switching out an animal protein for a vegetable entrée one night a week, you not only increase the amount of vegetables you get in your day but also vary the nutrients you consume. Plus, you get an opportunity to try new recipes. You may find something new that you like!

3.       Focus on what you can add to your plate.

Another way to get more vegetables into your day is to focus on what you can add to each plate. For instance, if you have an egg sandwich each morning for breakfast, you can easily add a few slices of peppers or some spinach leaves to the sandwich. For lunch, you can add a handful of baby carrots as a side dish. For dinner, you could add a small bowl of cooked frozen peas. These additions don’t need to be huge or overhaul your entire day. Start small and find sustainable changes that work for you.