MANY OF US STRUGGLE WITH EATING ENOUGH VEGGIES. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO GET MORE!
I’m the first to admit that I struggle with veggies- I love eating them, but it’s the preparing part that I struggle with. It’s a combination of a lack of time and creativity I think. See- even Dietitians have a tough time with veggies! Somehow, I always seem to sneak them in to my lunches and suppers, and if I’m lucky, some snacks. It’s tough some days though- and often I realize by the end of the day that I’ve fallen short.
Vegetables are key in our diets. They provide vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants which are essential for our health. They are also high in fibre which is important for our digestion.
I realize that getting more veggies is something that I have to work on but I try not to give myself a hard time. Everyone struggles with one thing or another when it comes to eating, and mine just happens to be veggie intake!
My general rule of thumb is to make sure that I have at least 4 servings of veggies per day. Sometimes this doesn’t happen, but most of the time I can swing it. Four servings isn’t actually very much as you’ll see.
If you’re like me and struggle with veggies, the tips below may help you to squeeze in at least one more serving a day.
- Add salsa to your egg on toast in the morning (1/2 cup salsa=1 serving)
- Tomato slices on your tuna melt at night and add a few carrots sticks on the side (1/2 cup raw carrots= 1 and 2-3 slices of tomato= 1)
- If you’re making a frozen pizza at night, through a bunch of extra veggies like mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes on top and sprinkle a bit of cheese (1/2 cup cooked or raw vegetable=1 serving)
- Have a cup of vegetables soup (such as butternut squash) as an appetizer to dinner (1 cup= 1 serving) and then have a salad with dinner (1 cup= 1 serving)
- Have a stir-fry for dinner- most of your dinner is automatically veggies! (1/2 cup cooked veggies=1 serving)
- Make a veggie omelette- through in peppers, mushrooms, tomato, zucchini, spinach or whatever else you have (1/2 cup= 1 serving)
- Have 1 cup veggie juice with lunch (1 cup= 1 serving)
- Add a whole bunch of veggies to a pasta sauce (1/2 cup= 1 serving)
Here’s a recipe that I came up with when I had a whole lot of broccoli to use up. It has turned out to be one of my faves and is SUPER easy. It goes well with my Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe!
Enjoy!
Easy Thai Sesame Broccoli
Ingredients
- 3 large bunches of broccoli cut up.
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted.
- 1/4 cup soy sauce.
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar.
- 1/4 cup sesame oil.
- 1/4 cup honey.
- 1 tsp garlic, minced.
Instructions
- Steam broccoli until tender crisp - approximately 15 minutes (do not over-steam).
- Combine all other ingredients (except toasted sesame seeds) in a sauce pan and heat on low for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer steamed broccoli to a large serving dish with a lid.
- Pour sauce over broccoli evenly, close lid and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds right before serving.
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