Simple Ways to Add More Veggies to Your Day

 

Everybody already knows that adding more vegetables to their diet is more than just a good idea. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only 14% of Americans routinely consume the recommended amount of vegetables (although almost 80% claim that they do). Perhaps one reason for this is that we tend to think of vegetables as a side dish that goes with dinner. One way to increase your consumption is to break the mold and find creative ways to include some vegetables with every meal.

Here are some of mine to get you started.

Chop up leftover veggies and add them to an omelette or scrambled eggs. Onions and peppers are obvious choices but spinach, zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower work well too. Saute them in a little olive oil first if you prefer.

If you like smoothies (I take my powdered supplements in one every day) toss in some veggies as well as fruit. Cucumbers are a great choice here but spinach or kale work amazingly well too. And while the green color may take some getting used to, they don't have much effect on the taste.

Top off your oatmeal with onion and peppers sauteed in a little olive oil in place of fruit now and then. It sounds a bit odd but its quite good.

A salad as a base for some chicken or tuna makes a simple, easy lunch. Or chop up a boiled egg over it. Just don't drown it in dressing.

More of a sandwich for lunch sort? Make sure to top off the meat with onions, peppers, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers or whatever you have on hand. It works well for Subway.

Need a snack? Instead of chips, have some cut up celery, carrots, radishes, broccoli or cauliflower on hand. Use hummus as a healthy dip to add a little zing.

As you see, its easy to get more vegetables into your diet simply by not thinking of them as a dinner only sort of food.

What creative ways do you use to up your vegetable game?