We've all heard eating vegetables keeps us healthy, but since I've been experiencing all the benefits, I know it's true! Vegetables are rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and many essential nutrients. They provide our bodies with so many benefits including stabilizing blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight. When I first started my meal plan to maintain my Hypoglycemia, one of the big changes was adding more vegetables to my diet. I ate a vegetable with dinner and a salad most nights, but I needed to get at least 5 servings of vegetables a day. I became quite creative including vegetables in a lot of my meals to increase fiber, and so many other important nutrients.
Here are some ways to incorporate vegetables in your meals throughout the day. In addition to adding valuable nutrients to your diet, eating more vegetables can also help you subtract calories by crowding out higher calorie foods. Don't add extra calories or fat by covering with cheese, bread crumbs, creams or extra butter or using a lot of high calorie dressings or dips. Using spices adds lots of flavor without the calories or fat.
1. Layer spinach, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, or broccoli into an omelette.
2. Shred carrots into your favorite whole grain muffin or pancake mix along with whey protein.
3. Heat up a cup of vegetable soup with your lunch(not cream based).
4. Add vegetables to your sandwiches such as spinach, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, sprouts, etc.
5. Make a side dish of raw veggies with your sandwiches.
6. Color your salad plate with different colored vegetables to add more nutrients.
7. Roast a pan of your favorite vegetables such as squash, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, peppers, onions and tomatoes. Cover with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees until crisp or throw on the grill in a basket...great flavor!
8. Blend up a shake or discover the superior Shakeology!
9. Layer spinach, arugula, peppers, tomatoes, etc. on your Mexican foods and pizzas.
10. Try lettuce wraps using bibb or romaine lettuce leaves instead of bread for sandwiches.
11. Replace french fries or chips with raw, roasted or grilled skewered veggies or edamame.
12. Make sweet potato fries. Cut potatoes lengthwise, layer on baking pan, cover with olive oil, salt, pepper and bake at 400 degrees until crispy.
13. Dip raw veggies in peanut butter, hummus or light dressing.
14. Substitute mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower.
15. Sneak vegetables into casseroles or shred them into meatloaf.
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