5 Fun Tips for Adding More Veggies Into Your Day

Can I ask you something ...are you eating enough vegetables?

According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines we should be aiming for at last 5 serves of vegetables each day.

Now, I don’t know about you, but even if you are a veggie fiend and are nibbling on lettuce all day long this can be quite a challenge for most of us to manage consistently.

Lucky for all of us there are some easy (and surprisingly tasty) ways you can sneak more veggies into your everyday meals – and better yet they are guaranteed kid and husband proof!

5 FUN TIPS FOR ADDING MORE VEGGIES INTO YOUR DAY

BLEND IT BABY

One of the easiest ways to add in an extra serve of green goodness is by blending it into a smoothie. There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to which ones to go for - like juicing most veggies can be blended, but some of my favourites include beetroot, baby spinach and zucchini. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind - it’s important to lightly steam or blanche kale before blending to reduce the goitre-genic properties it can have on your thyroid when consumed raw. Zucchini and cauliflower can also be slightly steamed and then frozen – you might be surprised to hear that both can add a lovely creamy consistency to your morning smoothie on the go.

STEW ON IT

Next time you are making the family a spaghetti bolognaise or lasagne add in some extra nutrients by slicing up some mushrooms or dicing up carrot, capsicum or zucchini. The vegetables mix well with the meat and are hardly even noticeable. The same principle also applies to casseroles, stews, pasta bakes or a yummy curry. The opportunities are really endless.

OODLES OF NOODLES

If you missed the spiralizing craze of 2014 then it might come as a bit of a surprise to you that you can very easily make noodles out of some of your favourite vegetables including zucchini, carrots and butternut squash. If you have a spiralizer then you know the drill – in goes a whole zucchini and out comes oodles of noodles – perfect for spaghetti, salads or stir-fries. If you are still to get your hands on one of these magical items lucky for you, they are pretty common in kitchen stores these days, or you can just use a grater. Noodles can be consumed raw, or you can also lightly steam or sauté for added deliciousness.

CAULI CRAZE

Cauliflower has got to be one of the most versatile vegetables, and not only is it high in fibre and b-vitamins but it also contains antioxidants and phytonutrients to boot. Even better, it can easily be substituted for food basics such as rice or made into a low-carb and nutrient dense pizza base. The rice is easy – simply blend it up and lightly steam or sauté with some turmeric, cumin and Himalayan Sea salt - yum. For the pizza base you want to finely blend your cauli and mix with eggs, seasoning and cheese of choice for a tasty and crunchy healthy pizza alternative. Bonus tip – you can also achieve a similar result with broccoli!

BAKE YOUR HEART OUT

It might sound unconventional but grated carrot and zucchini can add a nice touch to your next baking endeavour. You can go for a designated ‘veggie’ recipe like zucchini slice or carrot and cheese muffins. Or slip some beetroot into your brownies (highly recommend) or add some zucchini into your banana bread. The veggies are often mild in taste but add texture, bulk and of course you get all those extra health benefits to give you full permission to snack your heart out ;).

I hope these tips are helpful in helping you include more veggies into your day!

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