You've heard it ALL your life… “eat your veggies.” Moms around the world have been echoing this phrase like a broken record. But Why? Why does it matter so much if you eat your veggies?
For starters, vegetables can cut your cancer risk. They strengthen your bones and help you lose weight. They boost your immune system and can even make you look younger.
This is because they are chock-full of so many critical vitamins and minerals. Did I mention fiber? Fiber is so important and with all the processed foods these days, many simply aren't getting the fiber they need.
Adding more vegetables to your diet may be easy for some of you. If you love the taste and texture of greens, and have access to loads of fresh produce, then you’re all set.
But some have a harder time with boosting veggie intake, and an even harder time getting their kids to eat their greens. What often works is finding a way to eat vegetables without feeling like you’re doing it.
So how does that work?
There are so many ways to get yourself to eat more vegetables. It may just be a matter of being more mindful of what you eat. But if vegetables aren’t your favorite food, there are tricks you can use to make it easier for you. Here are some of my favorite ways to sneak in more veggies.
12 Sneaky Ways to Eat More Veggies
1. Make your mac and cheese like normal, but use pureed cauliflower with a little nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Tastes just as creamy and delish!
2. Make smoothies using spinach. Spinach adds no flavor to your smoothie, but it adds lots of nutrients. You can hide the green color by also including blueberries, strawberries or raspberries.
3. Use your spinach smoothie mix to make popsicles. You can also add some veggie juice to popsicles.
4. Make muffins using shredded zucchini or carrots in the batter.
5. Egg dishes are a great way to hide vegetables. Chop them up and add them to scrambled eggs, omelets, egg muffins or a frittata.
6. Make your own pizza and hide the veggies under the sauce.
7. Lasagna and casseroles are great dishes for hiding veggies. Chop them up small and add them to the sauce.
8. Make mashed potatoes using cauliflower instead of potatoes.
9. Add 1/2 cup of cooked zucchini, beets or spinach to a recipe for brownies or chocolate cake. I promise you won't even notice!
10. Make pancakes using mashed cooked beets in the batter. Call them “red velvet” pancakes. Tricky right?!
11. Bake up some veggie chips. They’re a great snack that you can make from sweet potato, zucchini, beets, carrots, or kale.
12. If you are a burger lover, there are tons of great recipes for burgers with vegetables hidden inside. You can chop up spinach and add it to your ground beef. It makes it so much juicier!
One of the best ways to make sure your family gets some healthy fat and vegetables is with this delicious and easy pudding recipe. Enjoy!
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with the picky eaters in your life and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you have your own tricks for sneaking veggies into your recipes?
