Mar 20, 2023 By Nancy Miller
A commendable resolve, but only sometimes a simple one, is to increase the number of fruits and vegetables consumed in one's diet. Until now, your strategy has consisted of an occasional snack of ants on a log or substituting a side salad for fries; then, you may need to adopt a more strategic approach to achieve the daily target you have set for yourself. It will take a little while to meet your daily produce consumption target if you think about it, plan, be bold and experiment with different cooking methods. Discover how with these ten valuable pointers:
When you eat the same fruits and vegetables day in and day out, it's easy to get into a rut and feel like you're going nowhere. Instead, when grocery shopping, focus on the produce department and challenge yourself to try a new fruit or vegetable. There's always a chance that you'll uncover a new all-time favourite. Nevertheless, introduce one new thing at a time. This way, something is less likely to become spoiled before you can test it.
Spiralizing vegetables, transforming them into thin or thick spirals that resemble noodles, is a beautiful method to vary the texture of the vegetables and the preparation. It also provides you with an option to consume more vegetables. Vegetables such as zucchini, squash, beets, cucumbers, potatoes, and butternut squash are some examples of foods that may be spiralized. Use them as a substitute for authentic noodles in soups or sauces, brighten salads, or make homemade veggie fries.
Breakfast can often appear to be a black hole when putting in fresh fruits or vegetables because of the variety of alternatives available, such as cereal, eggs, and bacon. Yet, you may shake up your routine by choosing foods like oatmeal topped with shredded vegetables or fruits, substantial hashes, or quiche loaded with vegetables.
While cooking your own meals, concealing the presence of vegetables and fruits could be challenging, but the family doesn't need to know. When you have sat down to supper with a dish that appears to be familiar, you will forget all about the hidden components that are contained inside it, and nobody will be the wiser. Try some kid-friendly recipes full of hidden vegetables, such as blueberry-beet muffins, cabbage pizza crust, and butternut macaroni and cheese.
Increasing your fruit and vegetable consumption does not require you to become a vegetarian. But, reducing the amount of meat you consume at home by one day each week may encourage you to become more inventive in the kitchen. Consider robust yet vegetarian options such as spinach enchiladas, mushrooms, "meatballs," or vegetable pot pie as some of your available choices.
In contrast to what you may have learned from the food pyramid, the essential part of each meal should be the fresh veggies that accompany it. Make it a goal to fill 50–75 per cent of your plate with veggies. The remaining third of your meal must comprise superior-quality protein and nutritious fat. Points are added if your fat supply is derived from plants like avocado.
Who says that you must put bread around your sandwich for lunch?! Many options may be substituted for veggies that add taste and texture to the dish. Trying stacking sliced meat, vegetables, and seasonings between two halves of a red bell pepper could be interesting. Furthermore, lettuce is a good option. If you're searching for something heartier, 2 slices of cooked sweet potato, each about an inch thick, make an excellent "bun" alternative that is robust and delicious.
It's possible that the amount of labor you put into preparing the produce that's been taking up unnecessary space in your refrigerator will affect whether you really consume it. You can easily get ahead on the cooking by chopping, slicing, as well as dicing fruits or vegetables which won't be ruined by being stored in the refrigerator. For example, you should avoid cutting up tomatoes because they will become mushy, and you should avoid cutting apples because they may become discolored. Get the fajitas ready by slicing the onions and bell peppers, dicing the mango for your porridge in the morning, and chopping the butternut squash for roast.