“You should really eat fewer fruit and vegetables,” said no one ever!
Maybe you hate them with a passion or you can’t get enough of them! Either way, you can adapt your palate to crave fruits and vegetables…if you get creative with them. The key is to think outside the box and find ways to make them taste GOOD!
Can’t think of anything? Allow me to get the ball rolling with some fun and creative ideas for adding fruits and veggies to your daily meals.
We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for you because they provide essential vitamins and minerals. But there are many other benefits to incorporating them into your life.
- If it’s cold and flu season, grab some strawberries or bell peppers to get your daily dose of Vitamin C.
- Eat a mango or a handful of carrots to get your some Vitamin A to keep your skin glowing and eyesight sharp.
- If you need to power through a two-hour lecture, grab an apple or a dark leafy green salad to provide fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Now let’s get into some really practical how-to tips:
1.Disguise them
Breakfast:
- Smoothies. Of course fruits make great smoothies, but some veggies do to. Try a handful of one of your favorite leafy greens like spinach, kale or avocado. Both options are flavorless in a smoothie and blend easily.
- Oatmeal, granola and cereal. Add fruit such as bananas, berries, and raisins to any bowl.
- Pancakes. Top pancakes with bananas or berries before you add the syrup or throw strawberries or blueberries into your blender with syrup to make your own fruit-enhanced syrup.
Lunch:
- Sandwiches. If sandwiches are your thing, add in a leafy green, sliced bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, or cucumbers for an added crunch and crisp. For PB&J, cut up a banana and add it into your sandwich.
Dinner:
- Add veggies to chili or soup. There is nothing better than making a big pot of hot deliciousness. Cooking vegetables in a flavorful stew is a great way to get in a variety of vitamin-packed goodness.
- Stir fry & pasta dishes. It’s easy to add veggies-galore to stir fry and pasta dishes. Just saute them in a little olive oil and dust some salt and pepper on top and throw them in.
- Pizza. Top pizza with veggies and add a side salad.
- Tacos. Salsa, tomatoes, beans, avocados, lettuce or cabbage can give your tacos a veggie boost.
Dessert:
- Throw in a fruit to your favorite loaf or pudding.
- Cover some bananas in melted chocolate.
2. Swap as a replacement
If you own a spiralizer or peeler, swap traditional pasta for zucchini or carrot noodles. If you do not have a spiralizer, spaghetti squash is a great replacement for pasta as well. All you need to do is cut it in half, pour some olive oil on top, bake it, scrape it out, and voila you have spaghetti noodles!
These vegetables are lower in calories than traditional pasta, so you may want to add a larger portion of your sauce or protein than you normally add to make it a hearty meal.
Or, simply mix these veggie noodles in with your regular pasta for a 50-50 mix.
3. Flavor and pair them
Who said fruits and vegetables have to be boring? Here are a few tips to spice things up.
- Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon or Tajin seasoning to any fruit and you will be impressed with how it tastes. Or dip fruit in yogurt or chocolate.
- Dip your favorite sliced veggies in hummus, salsa, ranch dressing, or guacamole for a little added flavor.
- Or try dipping strawberries, bananas, or carrots in almond or peanut butter.
- Douse your veggies in olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper, and roast them in the oven for a mouth watering delicacy. (To roast veggies, toss them with olive oil, salt & pepper, place on a greased pan (or use parchment paper) and cook 15-20 minutes on 400 degree oven.)
4. Prep ahead of time
Prepping your fruits and vegetables ahead of time will make it so much easier to add to meals.
- Roast vegetables in the oven and put them in a container in the fridge and add them to your plate throughout the week.
- Freeze individual bags of fruit and vegetables, especially if they start to get a little too ripe. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and stick your cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, collect and stick in zip lock bags. You can even make little bags of frozen fruits/veggies for every day of the week to add to your smoothies.
- For snacks, make tupperwares of your ready-to-go fruits and vegetables with your favorite dip or seasoning so you can easily grab them on the go.
Ary Spilkin, Health Coach