Look, we eat salad constantly, like it’s going out of style, but if you’re trying to eat more vegetables at every meal, you’ve just got to have other options.
Healthy people can’t live on salad alone, right?
Plus, some people don’t love the crunch of raw kale or spinach (your kids, maybe?) and would prefer their veggies a little more dressed up (or even mysteriously disguised!).
For all of those instances, there are lots of creative ways to work vegetables into your daily meal plan—from breakfast to dessert.
5 Ways to Eat More Vegetables
- Use leftover veggies (from last night’s dinner or the ones you didn’t use that are about to rot in the fridge) to make a leftovers frittata. Pro Tip: Pour the egg-and-veggie mixture into individual muffin tin portions and bake for an easy grab-and-go breakfast option.
- Eat veggies as a snack by roasting artichoke hearts. Making them takes 15 minutes max, and they can also serve as a great side dish for any kind of healthy protein.
- Add a cup of spinach to a post workout chocolate protein smoothie. You can use fresh (if you’ve got some leftover from all of those, ahem, salads) or frozen, when spinach isn’t in season.
- Sneak veggies into a classic comfort food. It’s easier than you think to just throw them into things you already make. For instance, try this quesadilla made with cheddar cheese and beans but also corn, onion, and nutrient-dense broccoli rabe. Another simple tactic: Chop a green like spinach or kale super fine and throw it into your tomato sauce on pasta night, and no one will even notice.
- Add veggies to your desserts. Bet you didn’t know you could add sweet potatoes, beets, zucchini, and cauliflower to delicious baked goods. Seriously, from cookies to cupcakes, there are simple ways to serve every dessert with a mega-dose of antioxidants.
