7 Easy and Affordable Ways to Sneak More Veggies into Your Meals -

It’s recommended that we aim for about 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day, or roughly 2.5 to 6.5 cups of fruits and veggies each day.

Sadly, only a measly 10% of American’s will actually get enough fruits and veggies each day.

Why does this matter? Will eating more fruits and veggies really improve your health that much?

YES!

Research studies for the past several decades have found that eating a sufficient amount of fresh fruit and vegetables improves health, decreases your risk for obesity, and lengthens your lifespan.

Plants like fruits and veggies contain critical ingredients that fight off disease, keep our organs functioning properly, help us have hormonal balance, and even help with beautiful hair, skin, and nails.

I mean there’s a reason that many chronic diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer can be prevented and even reversed with a healthy diet full of these life-giving plants!

But Veggies Don’t Taste Good!

When it comes to eating veggies, I get it. They don’t always taste the greatest.

Ok, so sometimes they don’t taste great at all.

But I promise there are ways to make them taste good or ways to hide them so you don’t taste them at all. And the best part? It’s not super expensive or anything fancy.

I don’t want to discount the importance of fruits here, but I’m going to focus primarily on veggies and how you can sneak more into your diet!

7 Ways to Sneak More Veggies in Your Diet!

1. Throw some in a smoothie.

This is my go to, favorite way to get my veggies in! The possibilities are endless, but my favorite combination is a BIG handful of spinach with almond milk, tropical frozen fruit, vegan vanilla protein powder, and a dash of lemon juice.

You can also use kale, carrots, spiraling powder, cucumber, or celery. Usually, if you add some protein powder or some fruit, you’ll mask any veggie taste!

2. Mix zoodles or spinach in with your pasta.

I used to just eat straight zoodles (zucchini spiralized so it has the appearance and texture of a noodle) but sometimes I just need a little more sustenance so I’ll add a little bit of whole wheat pasta.

Pair a couple cups of zoodles with a little whole wheat pasta, top with a homemade ragu and you’ve got yourself a veggie-packed meal!

3. Toss in greens with your pancakes or waffles.

You may not go for green eggs, but I think you’ll love green pancakes!

You can blend up spinach and a few other simple ingredients to make veggie-packed green pancakes!

If you have a greens powder or even spiraling powder, you can just throw a small scoop in with your pancake mix and cook as normal. My favorite combo is Kodiak cakes mix, spirulina, and vegan protein powder. (link spiraling amazon and raw greens)

4. Throw them in a soup or curry.

I LOVE curry. Not just because it’s delicious, but because I can throw in a ton of veggies and not taste them.

I’ve tried all sorts of bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, kale, onions, broccoli, and carrots. As long as you cook the veggies first it keeps the curry flavorful and full of nutrition!

If curry isn’t your thing, you can always make a chicken broth or tomato-based soup full of your favorite veggies.

5. Sneak cauliflower into your pizza or breadsticks.

No seriously.

This trick takes a little bit more time, but I promise the result is soooo worth it! I’ve tried cauliflower crusts on pizzas lots of times, and can’t wait to try THESE cauliflower breadsticks.

INGREDIENTS

3 c of cauliflower rice (pre-bagged in the produce section)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 scoop Multi-Purpose IdealLean Protein
1/2 c low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that the excess paper hangs over the sides. Set aside.
Place the cauliflower rice into a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 8 minutes, until cooked.
Transfer the cauliflower rice in a tea towel and twist it to squeeze as much moisture as you can. This is very important. The cauliflower rice needs to be dry, otherwise, you’ll end up with mushy breadsticks.
Transfer the cauliflower rice to a medium bowl, add the protein powder, egg, mozzarella cheese, Italian herb seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix well.
Spread cauliflower mixture in the prepared loaf pan.
Bake until the loaf is set and starting to turn golden, about 25-30 minutes.
In the meantime, line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
When the breadsticks are cooked, use the parchment paper to lift out of the loaf pan and carefully flip it over onto the lined baking sheet (so the bottom is on top). Bake for further 10 minutes until golden.
Optional: Take it out of the oven and preheat the broiler. Sprinkle more mozzarella cheese on top of the loaf, and broil a couple minutes until the cheese is melted and golden in spots.
Let cool a couple of minutes before cutting into 8 sticks. Serve with marinara sauce. Enjoy!

6. Sneak zucchini in your brownies.

Pot does not belong in brownies. Zucchini does.

Ok sorry that was a terrible joke, but really! You can’t tell and I bet your kids won’t either. I’ve fooled my nephews quite a few times with these healthy zucchini brownies.

7. Throw some color into your fajitas and tacos.

You can live your dreams and eat tacos every day, just throw some color in with them! Bell peppers and red cabbage are a no-brainer here. They have tons of added nutrition and fit perfectly with tacos!

Wrapping It Up

Getting your daily dose of veggies is super important. But that doesn’t mean you have to force down tons of raw broccoli every meal.

Try out some of these ideas and find some combinations you like! Try to get in a serving of veggies each meal and you’ll be in good shape.

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7 Easy and Affordable Ways to Sneak More Veggies into Your Meals

But Veggies Don’t Taste Good!