5 Easy Tips for Adding Vegetables to Your Diet

There is absolutely no use denying it: vegetables are part of a healthy diet. According to the American Heart Association, eating a diet that contains fruits and vegetables can help maintain a healthy weight and lower blood pressure. However, one study printed in the Medscape Journal of Medicine showed that only 1 out of 10 Americans were meeting what was referred to as the "calorie-specific MyPyramid fruit or vegetable recommendations" (1). 10% is obviously not a satisfactory number in this type of study, so it is important to emphasize consumption of vegetables and fruits in the daily diet. Individuals that do not like to voluntarily eat veggies will be pleased to know that there are many ways to integrate vegetables without being miserable.

The first way to add in vegetables is definitely the easiest and the least time-consuming. Vegetables make a healthy snack alternative to chips or sweets. Vegetables such as celery, baby spinach leaves, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower can be dipped in a low-fat dressing. This does not mean celery dipped in bleu cheese, side of wings. If dressing is not an appealing dip for a snack food, celery with a dash of peanut butter is a delicious snack.

The next tip might be hard for steak-lovers to swallows, but health is more important than the perfect steak. During dinner, try to shrink the main part of the meal (whether it is a steak, fish, or something else) and add a small salad. Salads do not need to be boring, and the possible ingredients are nearly endless. Even better, a large chicken or steak salad can easily make a very filling meal.

Eating a lot of pasta is generally not recommended, but a few vegetable additions can make pasta healthier. If a pasta is covered in some form of tomato sauce, try adding whole chunks of tomato. The sauce has probably been processed so that the "tomato" ingredient has lost some of its nutritional value. Fresh, whole tomato chunks will make up for the loss. With Alfredo, another popular sauce, vegetables such as steamed spinach or broccoli make a delicious addition. Mushrooms, even though they are not vegetables, also make good additions to pasta dishes.

Omelets are a pretty popular breakfast item, but the possible vegetables are not. The number of vegetable combinations available on an omelet are nearly endless. Chopped peppers, onions, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms (not a veggie, but a worthy mention), zucchini, cucumber, and many others have all been featured on tasty omelets.

A good lunch option that is full of vegetables is a vegetable wrap. All it requires is pita bread and a few choice vegetables. Chicken can be added if absolutely necessary, but the main fixture should be the fresh vegetables.

Remembering to get all of the necessary vegetables can be a pain at first- believe me, I know, but it is important to form good habits. Try out of a few of these tips, and maybe healthy eating will become second nature soon enough.

1. Joel Kimmons, PhD; Cathleen Gillespie, MS; Jennifer Seymour, PhD; Mary Serdula, MD; Heidi Michels Blanck, PhD. "Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Adolescents and Adults in the United States: Percentage Meeting Individualized Recommendation." Medscape Journal of Medicine. 26 January 2009.