5 Ways I’m Upping My Intake of Vegetables

This post is sponsored by Garden Lites.  All opinions are my own.

If you promise not to tell my kids I will let you in on a secret… I don’t really love a whole lot of vegetables.

But, like I said, I have kids… who I want to develop healthy habits and who I want to be able to be healthy and fit for myself so I’m always working on getting more vegetables into my diet. Only about 1 in 10 Americans eat the daily recommended amount of vegetables so I don’t think I’m the only one.

Today I’m sharing with you 5 ways that I have been able to get more veggies into my diet in the hopes that maybe it will help you if you aren’t the biggest fan either.

Preparation is Everything

Life is busy and when it’s crunch time I often reach for things that are easy. Each week when I grocery shop I try to do some meal and snack prep that same day so that when the hectic days come I have some easy options ready to go. I chop up some celery, peel and chop up cucumbers, peel and chop some carrots into sticks, etc for snacks and I prep for some healthy meals.

Learn to Cook Vegetables

I am a huge fan of Alton Brown and his old show Good Eats. I loved that cooking show because in it he talked about the why of certain recipes and cooking processes, the science of cooking if you will.

I remember in particular an episode where he talked about how the preparation of vegetables that tend to be bitter (like broccoli) can have a huge impact on how they taste. I won’t get into the science behind it all but simply steaming them will make them taste way more bitter than roasting them properly in the oven.

Do a little reading and try different preparation methods and pairings to see if there are some vegetables that you might not like one way but might really like a different way.

Start the Day with Vegetables

To maximize the amount of vegetables I get in each day I like to try to get in a serving at breakfast. One of the easiest ways I do this on busy days is to eat a couple of Superfood Veggie Cakes from Garden Lites.

I love the Garden Lites products because vegetables are the first and primary ingredient in all their products. Each Superfood Veggie Cake is full of veggies like kale and cauliflower and they are gluten free. They’re like a small egg and vegetable omelet that you can pop into the microwave or toaster oven for a quick and easy option in the morning.

Check out the Garden Lites Store Locator to find out where you can find Garden Lites products near you.

Play to Your Strengths

I’ll be honest… there are some vegetables that just outright make me gag. I have tried them different ways and I just can’t help not like them. If I go to someone’s home for dinner and they serve them to me I’m gonna be polite and choke them down somehow.

However, I don’t feel compelled to keep trying those vegetables all the time at home. There are certain vegetables that I absolutely love and I’m going to make those as often as I want. I’m going to have asparagus as often as I can when it’s in season and cucumber salad will always be in the rotation.

If you have a couple of vegetables that you like a lot then I suggest that you keep those in your meal plan often. Yes, you should strive to get a variety of nutrients so eat enough variety that you do but don’t feel like you have to make peace with eating certain veggies that you just can’t stand.

Ok, let’s share a little. Let me know in the comments below what your favorite vegetable is and your favorite way to prepare it and don’t forget to check out the Garden Lites Store Locator to find out where you can find Garden Lites products near you.