Eat Your Veggies

This is a common command. Seriously, it's in just about every kid's movie or TV show, so it's gotta be common, right?

Well, one of my mom's and my resolutions for the year is to eat more vegetables.

And that's deceivingly hard.

Now fruit, I could eat that all day! I love fruit like nobody's business. But veggies.... eh....

So I came up with a little chart, (mainly for my mom and me, seeing as it's our challenge) but I figured it could help anyone else out there that's trying to add more vitamins and health to their life.

Mine's printed out in my recipe book, so when I go to plan meals I remind myself to add them in. AND! I split it up into sections to show you some of the easiest ways to get yo' greens.

(Does saying that in slang make it cooler? Yeah, probably not.)

How to add VEGGIES to your diet

Just the Basics:

1.    Serve vegetables at every dinner.  No, I’m serious.  I know it sounds hard, but that’s what you’re reading this for, isn’t it?  Try some good carrot sticks or cucumber slices.  They’re healthy and satisfying.  Make it a practice: a plate of veggies on the table. No matter what.

2.    Grill your veggies.  Peppers, zucchini, asparagus, eggplant, even tomatoes!  Coat them with olive oil and throw them on. Turn every few minutes and remove when they start to soften. Or skewer chunks and turn frequently.

3.    Roast them.  An easy side dish that will last as long as any other left over.  Make up a big batch and throw it in with your meals all week!

4.    Eat them like fruit.  Half a cucumber, celery, a fresh carrot; they all work like apples.

In Soups, Salads, and Casseroles:

1.    Shredded carrots and cabbage add color, flavor, and lots of vitamins.

2.    Open a can of soup and add a bag of precut broccoli and carrots (fresh or frozen) and Bam!  Fast and easy meal!  As the soup simmers, it cooks the veggies with it.

Sandwiches and Entrees:

1.    Build a sandwich with more veggies than meat.  Try this rule: the meat should be stacked no higher than the thickness of a standard piece of bread.  Then, pile on the slices of lettuce, tomato, etc.

2.    Load up your pizza.  Do your body a favor and add on the multitude of veggies your pizza joint offers.

3.    Add some more veggies to that pasta sauce.  Seriously, most every kind will go good in there.

Other Tips and Tricks:

1.    Use salsa liberally.  Add chopped up yellow squash and zucchini to store-bought salsa.  Then, put it on everything!

2.    Try a veggie meal.  Once a week make a meal vegetarian.  You’ll be surprised how easy this can be.

3.    Move your veggies to the top shelf.  I’m a big believer in “out sight, out of mind.”  If they’re bagged properly, they will last just as long on that shelf as in the crisper.

4.    Try this golden rule: half your dinner plate should be vegetables.

     Hope this inspires you! Let me know if you have any more tips!