I’m participating in the Evolution Fresh blogger campaign and received compensation as part of the program.
Okay, confession: I’m a big fan of sugar. But I also feel a serious commitment to eating healthfully. (I never really had a chance after all– my mom is a Home Ec teacher.) Getting in whole grains, fruits, and lean proteins– no problem. I can do that in my sleep. But I’m not the biggest fan of veggies. It’s not that they make me gag or that I have to hold my nose to swallow them. I just would rather mix in fruit to a yogurt for lunch than much on a bowl of cut up carrots.
This year, I’m working to increase my daily intake of vegetables, and if you’re like the majority of Americans, you probably need to, too. The awesome thing? It doesn’t have to be all misery and raw kale. There are a few easy steps you can take to add veggies to your diet.Ready? Let’s do this.
Add Another Side
If you notice that you rarely have a side dish with your lunch or dinner, make an effort to add another side to your menu. Side dishes don’t need to be hard either. Microwave broccoli until it’s tender with a bit of lemon pepper sprinkled on it. Boom. Side dish = done.
Do the Prep Immediately
I make a valiant effort (although it sometimes doesn’t work all the time) to prep all of our veggies the minute we bring them in from the grocery store. I wash, slice, dice, and portion as much as I can since I know that we’re more likely to use our fruits and veggies when they’re already ready to go.
Keep Your Freezer Stocked
Having frozen veggies on hand makes prepping and planning meals so much easier. Add a bag of mixed veggies to a stir fry, red pasta sauce, or slow-cooker soup. Easy pea-sy. (Get it? I crack myself up.)
Keep Your Pantry Stocked, Too
Canned veggies are also super helpful to have in your pantry. Stock up on sales and keep them on your shelves so that you’re never out of produce, even if you fridge is bare.
Add Spinach to Breakfast
Stir in some spinach to your breakfast eggs or omelet. Add tomatoes, onions, and salsa if you’d like to make it Southwestern. (Ole!)
Add a Salad
Keep lettuce and basic salad fixin’s in your fridge so that you can add a side salad to dinner every night.
Plan Ahead
Making a plan for the week can help ensure that you’re eating veggies at every meal– and that you have enough to last you until the end of the week. If you’re looking for some meal planning inspiration (including crock-pot recipes because I’m addicted), follow my Meal Planning Pinterest board.
Make a Snack Swap
Put down the Cheetos and pick up something else orange and oblong– carrot sticks. Or broccoli crowns. Or really, any veggie you enjoy munching on. Add a low-fat dressing for dipping (or make one with a packet of Ranch and plain Greek yogurt), and you’re in snacking business! After all, you can mindlessly snack on veggies all day, e’rryday.
(Take my kick-butt and really easy recipe for kale chips. I’m not a big fan of kale, and I really do enjoy snacking on these babies.)
Make it Smooth(ie).
I’m not fan of smoothies (it’s a texture thing), but John is. He’s a smoothie fiend. Using powdered greens or adding a few handfuls of spinach, broccoli can boost a smoothie and fill it with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Pack Evolution Fresh
When we’re busy (or lazy), it’s great to pull an Evolution Fresh drink from the fridge and put it into John’s lunch bag. Several of the Evolution Fresh drinks (Sweet Greens and Lemon, Essential Greens with Lime, Organic Sweet Greens and Ginger, and Smooth Greens) are made from a pound of veggies and fruits, are all natural with no preservatives or additives, and are cold pressed. John likes the taste, the low calories, high nutritional value, and how many fruits and veggies are in one little bottle. It breaks up the monotony of cutting up and sending veggies or a salad along every day. (By the way, Evolution Fresh drinks can now be found at QFC, King Soopers and Ralphs.) For more information about the drinks (and why they’re so yummy), visit Evolution Fresh.
Enter to win!
Take the #3DaystoGreen pledge to enter for a chance to win prizes from now until February 28. You can boost your chances of winning by entering up to three UPC codes from Evolution Fresh bottles. (Yesss! More ways to win!)
