When you have a super busy life, eating healthily is hard. Processed foods are at our disposal when we’re on-the-go, meaning that it’s difficult to make healthy choices when there isn’t enough time to cook. Some people find that by eating too many processed foods, their mood changes and their bodies feel sluggish and tired. It’s not your fault if you’ve fallen into the habit of eating on the go – but there are ways to break the cycle.
When you do have time to cook, however, that’s when you should be maximizing your nutritional load. Cooking a meal takes time, energy and effort – so don’t let it go to waste. Filling your meals with as much nutritional value as possible will serve you well in the short and long terms.
In this post, you’ll learn three ways to eat more vegetables in your diet.
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Blend vegetables into your morning smoothie.
Your morning smoothie probably consists of fruits, a few nuts, perhaps some protein powder and a milk of your choice. If you want to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, it’s time to start adding vegetables. Greens such as spinach or kale add very little taste to your smoothie, but they can give you a huge boost when it comes to your iron and magnesium intake. Adding a handful of green vegetables into your smoothie will barely make a difference to how much you enjoy it, but it’ll make a huge difference for your gut, digestion and hydration.
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Incorporate vegetables into “unhealthy” meals too.
Vegetables can be incorporated into everything. In our culture, we often separate “good” and “bad” foods – meaning that when you make an unhealthy or “cheat” meal, you don’t bother adding any vegetables in there. What’s the point, right? It’s already unhealthy!
This mindset can be quite damaging to your health, simply because it applies a binary to “healthy” or “unhealthy”. If you are making a pizza – a typically “unhealthy” food – you can add fresh herbs, vegetables and spices to make it taste delicious. A veggie mac and cheese is still nutritionally valuable, even if it’s classed as an “unhealthy” meal. Just because you’re consuming carbohydrates and dairy, it doesn’t mean the fresh vegetables won’t make a difference. Add veggies to everything, even your cheat meals!
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Cook soups and stews more often.
Now that autumn is approaching, and winter soon after that, it’s time to start making hearty, wholesome dishes. Cooking soups and stews that are full of incredible, delicious vegetables such as onions, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms, automatically fuels your body with a hit of vitamins and minerals.
Plus, these meals don’t have to be boring. You can spice them up with chilli; add cheese; dip fresh, crusty bread with butter… The choice is yours! Eating healthy foods doesn’t mean you need to be a puritan about it; just take everything in moderation and enjoy your amazing vegetable-based meals.
Final thoughts…
Eating more vegetables shouldn’t be a punishment, but a joy! Find ways to eat more veggies with these three simple steps, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, more balanced diet.