Vegetarian or not, getting one’s daily dose of vegetables isn’t an easy thing to do.
Just spend an afternoon watching television and you’ll learn from numerous ads getting enough fruits and vegetables is an issue millions of Americans face.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA recommend people get five servings of fruits and veggies a day. That’s no easy task in this fast-paced, fast-food world we live in.
V8, Soy Joy and even Chef Boyardee are just a few of the companies trying to appeal to people who aren’t getting in their greens.
But buying pre-made products isn’t enough; you have to get the fresh produce, too.
So, I’ve found some sneaky ways to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies that are a bit more interesting than simply grabbing an apple or eating celery sticks:
One smoothie move
Smoothies are an easy way to get a couple servings of fruits (and vegetables) in the morning. All you need is fruit, ice, yogurt and a blender, and you’re ready to start the day!
If you’re really looking to cram in the nutrients, add unassuming vegetables like spinach and bok choi. When combined with fruits their flavors will be completely overshadowed.
Slice ‘n’ dice
This tip may seem slightly childish, but vegetables are easier to eat when diced up into small pieces. Eating a salad? Add corn, chopped onions, peppers, carrots, and even raisins and dried cranberries.
If you’re a person who doesn’t particularly enjoy eating raw vegetables, cutting them up and hiding them in things like salads, stuffing and pasta sauces can help get those daily ‘green’ servings in.
*
Book it*
There’s a wonderful cookbook that teaches the art of sneaking fruits and vegetables into tasty meals called ”Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld.
I will warn, the book is primarily for sneaking veggies into children’s diets. But in my opinion the tricks listed by Seinfeld are delicious and useful for children and adults alike.
The book primarily teaches people how to slip pureed vegetables into foods like macaroni and cheese, pancakes and even brownies.
Pure puree
If you puree a couple basics like squash, spinach and beets you’ll be ready to prepare any meal, any-time, with added ‘greens.’ Just steam your veggies, puree them and keep them in the freezer until needed.
A favorite of mine is adding 2 cups of pureed squash to boxed macaroni and cheese. The sharp cheese in the meal cuts the squash taste and the texture of the puree makes the meal extra creamy.
Using even one of these tips each day can help fill some of those five needed servings of fruits and veggies.
For a new vegetarian like me these tricks have helped immensely and they can help those of you who are missing out on your fruits and vegetables too!
