30 Ways To Eat More Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are a staple to a healthy diet.  They contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and prebiotics which are good for healthy gut bacteria, digestion, and balanced blood sugar. 

The simple rule is to “eat the rainbow” meaning eat as many colors and varieties as possible. 

Most people can work on eating more vegetables.  Typically, you want to eat twice as many vegetables as protein on your plate or 1-2 servings per meal. 

Here are some simple ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet!

1.        Top your toast with nut butter, avocado, or fruit.

2.        Add as many vegetables as possible to your omelets, egg scramble, or quiche, leafy greens, green onions, mushrooms, sweet peppers, etc.

3.        Add pureed pumpkin, squash, or carrots to waffle or pancake batters.

4.        Use guacamole for dipping raw carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, and celery. 

5.        Make crunchy kale chips, sweet potato, or plantain chips in the oven.

6.        Pick up a bag of veggie chips or make your own and enjoy with homemade salsa.

7.        Dip apples or pear slices in yogurt or nut butter.

8.        Have dried fruit and nuts handy for snacking.

9.        Stuff lunch wraps with shredded cabbage, fresh herbs, sprouts, avocado, and lettuce.

10.   Banish the bread and use lettuce as your sandwich, butter leaf and romaine work best.

11.   Use avocado in place of butter or peanut butter or cheese.

12.   Include raw vegetables, carrots, cauliflower, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes with your packed brown bag lunch.

13.   Skip the juice boxes and pack fruit instead like strawberries or chopped pineapple.

14.   Add frozen or fresh kale or spinach and berries to smoothies.

15.   Add avocado, mango, or banana to smoothies for creaminess.

16.   Puree excess vegetables in a food processor and spoon into ice cube trays for smoothies later.

17.   Keep raw veggies on the table during all meals.

18.   Stuff your stir-fries with as many veggies as possible.  Chop them all the same size so they cook evenly.

19.   Replace grain-based noodles with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.

20.   Replace rice with cauliflower rice.

21.   Make soups and stews and add a bounty of vegetables.

22.   Have a salad for lunch or dinner and include grated veggies, herbs, hard-boiled egg or your favorite protein.

23.   Try cauliflower crust pizza instead of gluten-free or flour crust.

24.   Have fruit and Greek or non-dairy yogurt as a snack instead of ice cream.

25.   Grill fruit like pineapple or peaches to include with dinner or have as a snack.

26.   Sub applesauce for the oil in baked goods like cakes and muffins.

27.   Make smoothie popsicles for an afternoon snack.

28.   Blend ripe avocado with raw cocoa, vanilla, honey or maple syrup, and a touch of salt for a creamy pudding.

29.   Freeze a banana, coat in melted chocolate, and top with shredded coconut or crushed nuts.

30.   Bake vegetables in the oven with a little oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper or spices.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful! 

Cheers to eating the rainbow! 

Jaclyn Rebekah Roberts, NBC-HWC, CIHC, E-RYT 500