Vegetables are the easiest way to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases and all-cause mortality. However, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for America found that vegetable intake is below the recommendations for all age groups in our country. Daily intake for vegetables is recommended between 2.5 to 3 cups. Read the tips below to find out how you can get eat more vegetables!
10 Tips for Eating More Vegetables:
1. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, or quick snacks while cooking dinner.
2. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat dressing or hummus.
3. Utilize canned vegetables such as tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, or beets. Select those labeled with “reduced sodium” or “no salt added”, or “low-sodium”.
4. Vegetable soups like tomato, butternut squash, or garden vegetables soup. Make your own soups with a low-sodium broth!
5. Use vegetables as pizza toppings. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms.
6. Stuff an omelet, pasta dish or your favorite homemade nachos with vegetables.
7. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables or chopped veggies to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
8. Add spinach or kale to your favorite fruit smoothie.
9. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Don’t forget beans or chickpeas.
10. Vary your veggies! Aim to try a new vegetable every month.
Information provided by Alyssa Lynott RDN,LD
Resources:
Choose MyPlate
Today’s Dietitian
EatRight.org