Getting enough vegetables into your diet is hard, even when you love veggies! Here are 12 easy ways to add more vegetables throughout the day.
1. Have produce delivered to your door. Joining a CSA, monthly subscription or even just using a grocery delivery service like Peapod ensures that there are always fresh options in your kitchen. I recently tried Hungry Harvest and love the companies dual mission to reduce food waste and eliminate hunger. Use the code ALISHATEMPLES to get $5 off your first order!
2. Prep veggies on your non-work days. It’s a lot easier to get dinner on the table when most of the prep work is already done. Use a non-work day to rinse and chop vegetables so they are ready to go. Take it one step further and steam or roast them so you just need to reheat and serve.
3. Buy frozen versions of your favorites. If you have a problem with vegetables spoiling before you use them, switch to frozen. I like to partially thaw them in the microwave or in boiling water, then saute with a little olive oil and garlic for flavor.
4. Add veggies to your eggs. Finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower are a great addition to scrambled eggs. Place fried eggs on a bed of spinach. Top eggs with salsa. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste to scrambled eggs for a hit of umami. The sky’s the limit!
5. Try pumpkin pancakes. Canned pumpkin puree make these fall favorites available anytime.
6. Add a handful of spinach or grated carrots to a smoothie. My favorite smoothie recipe is so easy: 1 cup milk of your choice, 1 frozen banana, 2 handfuls spinach, 1 tablespoon almond butter, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
7. Add roasted vegetables to sandwiches. Roast thin slices of butternut squash or eggplant to add to your turkey sandwich. If you don’t have time to cook, try adding jarred roasted red tomatoes.
8. Use toasted sweet potatoes in place of sandwich bread. Preheat oven to 450°. Peel sweet potato and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool then place your favorite sandwich toppings in between two rounds.
9. Line wraps with greens. Lettuce and dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale, and collard greens, keep wraps from getting soggy. You can also swap the wrap out for the greens solo.
10. Bulk up ground beef. Add 2 shredded zucchini, 1 shredded carrot, and 1 cup of finely chopped mushrooms to 1-pound of ground beef. This trick works well with ground turkey or ground lamb as well.
11. Add pureed vegetables to tomato sauce. Pureed onion or bell peppers add depth to the flavor, pureeing them helps combat any texture aversions. Pureed carrot adds a slight sweetness. Pumpkin and squash purees are fairly neutral in flavor and can thicken the sauce.
12. Make your veggies into fries. Slice carrots, zucchini, sweet potato or parsnips into 1/2 inch sticks, coat with olive oil and salt, then bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes.