1. Up Front and Center
Keep vegetables on hand, up front and center in your fridge so that you're more likely to grab for them when it's snack time. Some vegetables that are good for snacking on are baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes and radishes. Have them washed and prepared in little baggies so that you can grab one and go on your way out the door. Sliced carrot and celery sticks become extra crispy when you store them in cold water in the fridge.
2. Sneak Veggies Into Every Meal
Eat vegetables with every meal. Add an extra serving of vegetables on your sandwich at lunch in the form of tomatoes, cucumbers or even spinach. Eat salads as a meal instead of just a small salad on the side. Incorporate a side of vegetables on their own with every meal. Grilled vegetable kabobs go well with your steak or barbecued chicken. Steam some broccoli or green beans to go with fish. Roasted peppers, onions, carrots and potatoes compliment any meal, any time of year. Add root vegetables to your roast in the last hour of cook time for a hearty vegetable side dish. Try new vegetables from time to time, or prepare your favorites a new way to keep them interesting.
3. Vegetables Don't Have to Be Boring
Make your vegetables appetizing. If you buy what you like, you're more likely to get your recommended daily intake of vegetables than if you try to force yourself to eat veggies that you don't care for. Prepare healthy vegetable dips using fat free sour cream or mayonnaise and a packet of dip mix. When possible, purchase farm fresh or organic vegetables, as they taste better and tend to be fresher than what you get in the grocery store. When you buy from a grocery store, buy what's in season for the best-tasting produce.
4. Be Sneaky and Hide Your Vegetables
If you really can't stand vegetables or are simply looking for some more creative ways to eat more vegetables every day, try hiding them in the foods that you already eat. Puree carrots and mix them into a meatloaf or meatballs. Sweet potato puree, grated carrots or zucchini hide well in spaghetti or homemade pizza sauce. Slice veggies really thin and layer between turkey and cream cheese on a tortilla roll up. Prepare muffins and bread using grated zucchini or carrots for some extra servings of vegetables.
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