Tips to Eat More Vegetables

So, you want to eat more vegetables? It seems simple enough. In our hectic fast-paced lives it can be hard to integrate more vegetables into one's diet.

Eat More Vegetables Tip 1: Buy Vegetables

It seems obvious that one would need to buy vegetables in order to eat more of them. Many Americans don't go to the fruits and vegetables section of the store at all. They know what they always get and so they only visit those parts of their grocery store. To eat more vegetables, make a plan for buying more. If you use a shopping list be sure that vegetables make it onto the shopping list. If you usually just go to the store make sure that you have some of every food group before you leave. Make it a habit to circle through the whole store so that you hit the vegetable section.

Eat More Vegetables Tip 2: Vegetables as Snack Food

Most Americans eat snacks. Many vegetables make great snacks raw. Raw vegetables also have all their nutrients because none of it has been cooked out. Carrots and Celery can be cut, put in water, and stored in jars in the refrigerator. Sometimes you just need to get used to eating a new food before you can make best use of it. I love broccoli and cauliflower. When I was a kid I hated them. Then I found they could be eaten with melted cheese over the top. Slowly I decreased the cheese and then used ranch dip. Now, I can eat them straight. Give yourself permission to eat vegetables in unhealthy ways to get yourself used to them.

Eat More Vegetables Tip 3: Vegetables as Casserole Ingredient

Any casserole you make can be jazzed up with a vegetable. Onions are a good first vegetable. I hate the taste of onions but I love the flavor it gives other food. Cook onions with your meat to make it more savory. Ask yourself what vegetable would go well in the casserole you're making. I just made some beef stroganoff and thought that broccoli would go well in it. My mom is visiting and helping and she agrees. When I asked how much to put in she said as much as there is meat. I was skeptical. It seemed like way too many vegetables but it was perfect. Cook the vegetable in with the meat or sauce and it take on its flavor.

Eat More Vegetables Tip 4: Try a new Vegetable

Sometimes you need to try a lot of vegetables to find the ones you like. At the "Great Big Vegetable Challenge" a mother-son team has taken on the challenge to try every vegetable twice. The blog gives recipes, pictures and reactions. It is also very comprehensive. You won't run out of vegetables to try.