Struggling to eat your five servings of vegetables a day? The first step is making sure you have plenty of veggies readily available, says Rachel Berman, R.D., health content manager for About.com. But that’s not the only way to up your intake. We got Berman to suggest strategies for adding more vegetables to your diet—and they’re so easy. See for yourself:
Wake Up to Veggies
Fruit usually gets all the love in the healthy breakfast category, but you can make a veggie-loaded breakfast, too. Just try adding a little canned pumpkin to your pancake batter or make some savory oatmeal, like the Oaty Egg Florentine in this oatmeal recipes slideshow.
Pack Your Sammie with More Produce
When lunchtime rolls around, Berman suggests loading your sandwich with extra lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. Or you could try swapping out your bread or wrap for lettuce, like in these Turkey-Lettuce Wraps.
Veg-Out Your Salad
Take your typical salad from mediocre to mmmmmm by topping it with out-of-the-ordinary veggies like crispy Brussels sprouts (roasted on a pan with a drizzle of olive oil) or jicama.
Chip Away
Want to sneak in more veggies between meals? Snacking on real vegetable chips—rather than uber-processed potato chips—is the key, says Berman. Try one of these 4 kale chip recipes, or if you’re not into kale, make baked beet chips.
Consider Your Alternatives
Get creative with dinner by swapping pasta out for veggies, like in this Roasted Zucchini No-Noodle Lasagna or this Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash.
Do the Mash
Mixed veggies on the side? Boring! Instead, use veggies to make knockoffs of your favorite indulgent side dishes. Berman loves making Mashed Cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes, for instance.
Treat Yourself
Dinner may be over, but you can still get one more dose of veggies—from the dessert tray!—by making a delicious vegetable dessert, like these Beet-Berry Cakes.
