How to get More Vegetables in (Meal Planning)

I do love eating vegetables, most of them anyway. But not all the time.

So I’m going to be upfront with you. I am really after your suggestions of usual or unusual vegetables! Here’s why:

Reasons to eat more vegetables

• vegetables are generally low in starch (carbohydrates)
• They are high in fibre which helps to lower blood sugar levels
• the fibre in vegetables help you to feel fuller for longer
• Vegetables contain micronutrients (nutrients we need in small amounts)
• they are low in fat
• vegetables are low in fat

So I do know of the importance of having more vegetables in my diet, it’s just actually doing it!

 

Since January, we have made an attempt to have vegetables every single day and we have tried some ingenious ways to do it. We have been doing it not only for ourselves but for the kids too.

Ways to get more vegetables into the diet

1. Use lettuce leaves instead of the burger buns
2. Grate and chop vegetables like carrots, celery, and mushroom into things like bolognese and other sauces
3. Add chunks of vegetables to the roast pan
4. Go for more vegetarian meal options per week
5. Go for vegetable crisps (there are quite a few now on the market)
6. Juice or blend them and drink it
7. Try one new vegetable every month. That’s 12 new ones to get used to

Number 6 is what I have been going for more often these days.

My reasoning behind it is that it only takes about 5 minutes to prepare and consume all of my ‘five a day’ each day. I just tend to wash, cut and blend them up in my nutribullet blender and down it in one go! Not all of them taste good, I must admit. To counteract the sometimes unpleasant taste, I usually add a pear or an apple to the rest of the ingredients. I reckon that if I drink it all down in one go, then it is more bearable.

Some days, I am so full after having one of these vegetable ‘smoothies’ that I don’t feel like having lunch. So it actually replaces lunch. Fewer calories mean weight loss! And we are seeing results in this regard too.

We don’t stick to a regular ‘recipe’ for each day, however.  What we do is to prepare at least 4 or 5 vegetables along with one lemon or lime, ginger and sometimes a tablespoon of chia seeds or sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond, or linseed. All this goodness make us feel lighter and more alive. We have more energy to actually do things.

As I say though, we are after your ideas for what you do to ensure that you consume more vegetables. Do you cook them? How? Are there certain ones you would recommend? Give us some tips because we want to carry on enjoying vegetables every day but we don’t want to get bored with it.

I’ve used celeriac once, and I love the flavour so if you have ideas, send them our way.

This week we are linking with Katy Kicker to share our meal planning ideas.

Related: meal planning when the cupboard is almost bare

our eats this week

 

Some of our meals this week, showing how to get more vegetables in

Dinner of boiled dumplings with wholemeal flour, string beans, tomatoes and callaloo and saltfish

This was a really low carb home cooked breakfast. Asparagus was just crunchy and filling.

Ever tried ackee? It’s a vegetable and makes up part of Jamaica’s national dish. It has a lovely creamy texture and yellow colour.

Here I had it with one boiled green banana, one tomato, and some broccoli.

To get more vegetable in, try green and red peppers, spinach, and apple with lemon juice

Spinach, carrot, cucumber, apple and celery in this one

 

Flax, chia and ginger all have amazinghealth benefits and they go well with the vegetables. If your iron level is low, increase your intake of green leafy vegetables and then check again after a few months. Don’t forget to have some citrus fruits or other food with vitamin C so that your body is able to absorb the iron.

Don’t forget too, to tell us about your favourite vegetables and how you prepare them. Would you be brave enough to blend and have them raw?

We find Aldi has the best prices (in our area) when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Tell us where you find the best prices too.

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