A young boy sits at the dinner table, his mother calmly explaining the importance of vegetables and eating five of them a day. The phone rings. She rises and goes to answer it as the child neatly shoves his Brussels sprouts into the trunk of his toy car. The child smiles as she praises him for eating all his vegetables thinking of the squished green mess he will share with the ants outside later. If you were like that child, you likely need some tips to help you eat your vegetables.
First off, how many vegetables do you need to eat?
The USDA food pyramid says five servings, which is the equivalent of 5 cups of vegetables. For more information on what constitutes as a cup of each type of vegetable you can visit the USDA pyramid website here:
http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/vegetables_counts_table.html
Now how to go about eating those five servings of vegetables?
If you have great difficulty eating your vegetables because either you dislike them, or you simply just don’t regularly work them into your daily meals, a good way to start eating them is to add them into your existing favorites. For example, if you regularly eat meatball spaghetti consider adding chopped onion, mushrooms and maybe even minced broccoli. This way you won’t taste the vegetables as much if you are not a fan of the taste and you haven’t altered your routine much.
The biggest mistake many people make when attempting to make their diets healthier is they try to drastically change all at once setting themselves up for failure. You can add vegetables to almost every meal in existence this is wonderful way to get some of those daily food servings.
Another tip to help you eat your vegetables is to change your shopping habits. You won’t eat vegetables if their not on hand. Be sure to buy snackable vegetables such as baby carrots or celery. Just as a cake out on the counter is more likely to be eaten, vegetables that are easily accessed are more commonly consumed.
My final tip for eating your vegetables is to maintain variety. Do not buy the same vegetables every time, and cook them in the same manner. Get online, or get a cookbook and find new recipes. You may just find some that you love while getting your five a day.
Remember that eating your vegetables does not mean you have to eat foods you dislike, with a little experimentation I guarantee you will find some vegetables you like and improve your health in the process.
You may also enjoy:
How to Store Vegetables in the Fridge
The Difference Between Fruits and Vegetables
How to Get Your Child Eating Vegetables
