People find it easier to eat enough fruit every day than to eat enough vegetables. You may experience benefits such as healthy weight loss, increased fibre intake and regular bowel movements and sustained energy throughout the day.
The benefits only get better the longer you do it. Here are some sneaky tips to incorporate more leafy greens into your regular diet and reap the benefits.
1) Add Vegetables to Your Favourite Meals
Start by making a vegetable or two the star of your favourite meals. It could be as simple as adding spinach to your favourite sausage and tomato sauce spaghetti or as exotic as adding green cabbage and other vegetables to your fried rice. If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, make sure the potatoes are replaced with some sort of vegetable.
The main idea here is to surround the vegetables with things you like to help you eat more of them.
2) Create Healthy Alternatives
If you don't like vegetables and only eat them because you know that you should, then it may be time to create alternatives you will actually enjoy. You may not be a fan of eating vegetables as a side dish, but what if you made vegetable patties out of them? You may not like eating salad, but what if you replaced the salad dressing with something else?
It's time to replace the foods you don't like with healthier alternatives. This may take some creativity, but it's about finding the foods you will actually enjoy eating and incorporating them into your diet.
3) Replace Junk Snacks With Vegetables
If you are hungry and looking for a snack, try getting a piece of fruit. Instead of the chips, try a healthy vegetable. Don't reach for the candy bar, but reach for a piece of fruit or a few nuts.
If you crave something crunchy, try some vegetables with a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. With a little imagination, you will be able to satisfy your cravings for vegetables.
4) Focus on Dark, Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are a great place to start. They're very nutrient-dense, with a good amount of fibre and numerous antioxidants. Some nutrient-rich leafy greens include broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce and kale.
If you're not a fan of vegetables and don't seem to be in the mood to eat them, try juicing them. You can throw just about any vegetable into a juicer and come up with a fresh, healthy, vegetable juice cocktail that you will actually look forward to drinking.
5) Use Preserved Vegetables
If you don't have a green thumb, that's okay. You can still enjoy fresh vegetables by using preserved vegetables. To make them, you will need fresh vegetables, jars and canning supplies.
You can preserve many of the vegetables you love such as cucumbers, squash and even tomatoes. You can preserve vegetables in water, juice or vinegar. Pickle vegetables for a little extra tang.
The Bottom Line
Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients, but only if you eat them. If you don't like vegetables or can't eat them, you still won't reap the benefits.
If you want to add more vegetables to your diet, Covent Garden Fruit Co. can help. Get boxes of fruit delivered with our expert services. Get in touch with us today to have access to healthy food right at your door.