Ways to Add More Vegetables to Your Diet

Growing up I don't recall eating that many vegetables each day. Breakfast was usually bacon, eggs, and toast while lunch was whatever the school decided to pass off for food. As I got older and began cooking more or going out with friends the only vegetables I would ever have were a potato with my steak or corn with my seafood. My mother would make stewed greens for holiday meals but considering the fact that these vegetables were cooked with large amounts of bacon whatever nutritional value I should have derived from them was lost.

Now that I am older and struggling to be healthy while raising a healthy daughter I am constantly trying to find ways to incorporate enough vegetables into our daily diet. I am lucky that my small daughter and nephew both like vegetables but in a way that makes my job harder. I need to make sure I cook vegetables because I know they will ask about them and I need to make them good for children and adults.

The first thing I started to do to encourage myself to eat more vegetables and make cooking them fun was to grill them. I love cooking on the grill and instead of just throwing a slab of meat onto it I found myself drizzling olive oil on my favorite vegetables and cooking them along side my chicken or fish. Grilled eggplant has become one of my favorite and my daughter loves portabella mushrooms. My nephew is a big grilled tomato fan and everyone loves grilled onions with their meat.

Other parents I have talked to have had a lot of luck with broccoli. Most kids are used to this green vegetable and will tolerate it up to a certain extent. My daughter calls them 'trees' and enjoys eating them whatever way she sees mommy eating them. Instead of drowning my broccoli in cheese and butter I started steaming my broccoli until it was bright green and serve it tossed with a little olive oil, minced garlic, and salt. Try not to let the broccoli get too soft since I've found the kids enjoy the 'crunch'.

Most importantly I have tried to add a salad to my afternoon and evening meals. A nice leafy salad with a variety of lettuces and a bit of baby spinach will add some necessary vitamins and minerals to your diet. It was a little unusual at first but I got used to it and now couldn't imagine starting out a meal without a salad. If you just aren't a salad person try to start out your meals with a little veggie plate or snack on carrot sticks when you crave a snack.