FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About
    • PRs Work With Us
  • MEDIA
  • DIRECTORS CUT
  • Contact Us
Joleisa logo
  • Frugal living
  • Eat for less
  • Start a blog
  • Recommendations

How to get More Vegetables in (Meal Planning)

This post may contain affiliate links

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

 

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

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

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

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.

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

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.

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

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

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

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

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

 

Vegetables have vital nutrients and other benefits that we need. Here are some ideas for how to get more vegetables in. Learn share your ideas too!

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.

Related products

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • Print
  • Email

Related

Filed Under: Frugal Food

About Joleisa

« Recognising the Value of These Phenomenal Women who do Menial Work
The Perfect Mothers’ Day Cake With Coffee and Walnut »

Comments

  1. Sarah - Mud, Cakes and Wine says

    March 8, 2019 at 5:28 pm

    wow sounding healthy and tasty xx

    Reply
  2. Katy Stevens says

    March 13, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    I follow some of the tips you’ve shared here. As hard as I try I just can’t force myself to drink juices, as I’m not a fan! I will start adding some more veggies to my roast pan though! We’ve been having more vegan and vegetarian meals most weeks now too.

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      March 15, 2019 at 11:55 am

      I am not a fan either! So we drink it down in one go! Almost without taking a breath. Good luck in getting more veggies in. And thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  3. ariful Islam says

    June 3, 2019 at 6:19 pm

    Hi Jo and Leisa,
    It is so interesting that you are twins. And another thing is nutribullet blender is good choice of blender to crush ice.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hey guys and gals!

Hi, we're Jo and Leisa, twin sisters and authors of Joleisa.com. Originally from the sandy beaches of Jamaica we now reside in England where we followed our calling to teach. But sometimes that call changes and our new passion is writing. We're here to give the ups and downs of it all with our lifestyle tips and tricks to help you avoid the sour lemons that can get in our way of frugal budgeting, intentional living and happiness. Join us and learn more about how we found the simplest ways to achieve easy living. Read More…

AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 5’S

We are Sociable

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Intentionally Cosy!
  • Preparations is my Word of the Week
  • Mission – Our Word of the Week
  • Let us Check out Scrambly.io to see how you can Make Some Money Online
  • Word of The Week: Relaxation

MOST POPULAR POSTS

Why we left teaching

  • Be your own boss
  • Set up a blog
  • Making money from your blog
  • Using Pinterest to help your blog
  • Fixing sleep problems
  • Frugal family fun at half term
  • Having to plan a funeral!
  • Let’s show you how we save money on food
  • Our time on Channel 5’s Shop Smart, Save Money
HIBS100 Index of Home and Interior Blogs HIBS100

Copyright © 2023 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 ·Tasteful Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in

YOUR PRIVACY

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...