Eat veggies like it’s your job!

Many of us know vegetables are really healthy and that we should all be eating more of them.

Some of the main benefits of eating vegetables include:

1. Weight loss assistance. First of all, veggies have fewer calories per cup versus many foods (ie. 1 cup spinach = 15 cal, 1 cup of rice = approx. 250 calories); secondly, the fibre in them helps keep us feeling fuller for longer.
2. Reduced blood sugar levels and bloating. The fibre in veggies helps stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing dips in our energy and mood swings. The fiber flushes out waste and irritants, preventing constipation by keep our digestive tract moving. Many veggies are also filled with potassium and water, this helps flush excess sodium out of our body.
3. The vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants in veggies all help fight against diseases. These alkaline foods balance out acidic foods including proteins, grains and coffee.
4. Bone protection. Many vegetables have calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and fiber; all things that help keep our bones healthy and strong.
5. Increased youthful glow. In addition, the phytonutrients, Vitamin C and high water content in veggies helps keep our skin vibrant.

You should be eating far more veggies versus fruits due to the natural sugars that fruit contain. If you’re like me, veggies may not be your absolute favourite food. It is daunting at first, trying to consume 8+ servings of them each day.

Here are 5 ways I sneak in a few extra servings of vegetables into my daily diet:

1. Make them easily accessible. Chop and store variety of veggies in a Tupperware container on Sundays so that every time you open your fridge, they are right in front of you. They need to be ready to eat at all times, or you will ignore them.
2. Chop them into tiny pieces. Use your food processer or blender (I love the Vitamix) to finely dice your veggies. Add the finely diced pieces into rice and noodle dishes; you can even mix into into a pasta or stir fry sauce and you won’t even taste it!
3. Add them to shakes. Get your day started off right with 2+ servings of veg in your morning shake. Cucumbers, spinach, celery, zucchini and carrots are veggies that you can’t usually taste much in your shake.
4. Treat them like a carb. Place your meat and sauce on bed of veggies versus a starchy rice or pasta. Another tip is to eat spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash as your carb instead of pasta.
5. Make them a treat – eat them with dips and cheeses. If you have a real craving for cheese, spread it on a piece of celery, zucchini, green pepper or cucumber, versus a cracker. HELUVA GOOD dip is so tasty; instead of eating it with chips, dip in your favourite raw vegetable. Try making kale or eggplant chips. Eating veggies as your snack is a sure way to consume at least 1 extra serving a day.

Veggies are a critical component of our diet.

In summary, vegetables assist with weight loss; reduce blood sugar levels and bloating; help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease; offer bone protection and help keep our skin vibrant. So, like Kathy Smart says, “Eat veggies like it’s your job.”.

Please share with me, the ways that you sneak extra vegetables into your diet, I would love to hear from you.