Mental health relies heavily on the food we put in our bodies, as this is the fuel that allows our brain to function. Vegetables are a crucial aspect of our diet as they provide so many valuable nutrients for the brain and body. People who include more vegetables in their diets have a reduced risk of many chronic diseases as well. Low in calories and fat but full of nutrients, vegetables should be used as often as possible with cooking! Not sure how to include more veggies in your diet? Try these five ways!

1. Fill half your plate with veggies! Making vegetables the priority of the meal will help you eat more veggies as a whole. Filling half your plate with vegetables is a good visual measurement of how much you should be eating. Tip: Find a dressing that you enjoy that’s low in calories, fat, and sugar, and use in moderation. This way, you can fill half your plate with a leafy green like spinach!

2. Eat all veggies on your plate first! The purpose of doing this is so you will eat all of the vegetables you need before you fill up with the rest of your meal. You may be more full by the time you get to the other parts of your meal and you will have still gotten the good nutrients of the vegetables.

3. Replace carbs with veggies in recipes! You can still enjoy your favorite recipes with a healthy twist. For example, instead of pasta, substitute spaghetti squash. Although slightly different, this replacement tastes very much the same with many more healthy nutrients instead of empty carbs. Another great example is to replace the potatoes in your mashed potatoes recipe with cauliflower! Again, this makes the recipe slightly different, however it still tastes great and contains way better nutrients.

4. Hide your veggies! Not a fan of eating vegetables typically? Make recipes that hide your veggies! Smoothies are a fantastic choice, because you can throw in your favorite fruits along with some veggies. The fruit will mask the taste of the veggies. Just make sure you are eating more vegetables than fruit in your diet. Fruit has many health benefits, but it is also full of sugar, so it is important to be conscious.

5. Throw in some additional veggies into familiar recipes. Just throw them in where ever you can! There are so many recipes that could use a few extra veggies. For example, for pasta recipes, throw in some extra veggies into the sauce you are making. Plus, if you make the switch to spaghetti squash, and you are literally eating all vegetables!

Interested in learning more about nutrition? Our health coach Shayna Strickland can help you develop your own personal eating plan fit specifically for your needs! 

First image courtesy of kratuanoiy at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Second image courtesy of hyena reality at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Third image courtesy of BrianHolm at FreeDigitalPhotos.net