Tips to increase your vegetable consumption [Not just for Kids]

We all know that we should be eating 5 plus a day – what you may not know is that the advice has increased from 5 plus a day to 7 plus a day! And that of these items you should be eating only 1-2 should be fruit and the rest should be vegetables! If you’re anything like I used to be you will be wondering how on earth you are going to get that many vegetables into your diet!

It’s pretty easy really, just follow some (or all) of my tips to increase your vegetable consumption and you’ll be hitting your 7+ a day before you know it! These tips work for adults as well as kids as I know that sometimes us adults (I feel old writing that, but I guess I need to come to terms with the fact that I am now an adult!) struggle to eat well as well, sometimes due to our lifestyle, sometimes due to not knowing how (or knowing any better!) and sometimes because we are just too damn fussy!

• Use alternative carbohyrates sources like potato,  sweet potato or pumpkin as your carbohydrate of choice with dinner (and lunch). Swap the rice, bread or pasta in some of your meals to vegetable carbohydrates and you’ll be bumping up your vegetable content without feeling as though you’re missing out.
• Make vegetables more fun (easier said than done some may say), chop the vegetables into different shapes. I enjoy chip shape food so often make homemade kumara (sweet potato) fries and carrot chips.
• Make use of herbs and spices to make things more interesting! Herbs and spices can completely transform a dish!
• Have a serving of vegetables with every meal! Add vegetables to your morning smoothie or omelette and take leftovers for lunch.
• Move the vegetables to the top shelf of the refrigerator, if you can see them you are more likely to eat them!
• Make friends with meal prepping! Cut the vegetables up on your days off so they are ready to go. It’s a lot easier to grab a bunch of carrot sticks and eat them if you don’t need to peel and chop them right then and there.
• Try the vegetables in a different form to what you usually have. This works well if you don’t like  certain vegetable, for example I can’t stand boiled broccoli but I tried it when it was only just cooked so still a little hard and I didn’t mind it. I’ve also heard people rave over roasted brocolli! Another example for me is pumpkin, I can’t stand pumpkin by itself but I don’t mind my pumpkin soup recipe!
• Use vegetables as the vessel to hold your food – an example is a capsicum or eggplant! Hollow out the capsicum and serve your dinner in it, eating the bowl as you go.
• Try to incorporate some vegetarian meals into your diet. Meat free Monday anyone?
• Make a home made salsa and use it liberally on your meals! Salsa is made out of vegetables! Just make sure you don’t make one full of sugar.
• Roast your vegetables! I don’t know about you but I much prefer roasted vegetables to boiled or mashed. On the weekend I make a roast one night and do enough extra vegetables for a few nights dinners so we come home to roast vegetables each night!
• Make friends with your slow cooker – seriously add a tin of tomatoes, some meat and any other vegetables of your choice with a few herbs and spices and you will have a delicious vegetable filled meal – and it’s ready for you when you get home from work!
• Stir Fries are a great friend of the vegetable eater, just add in whatever vegetables you like and keep the ones you don’t out (I’m looking at you onion and mushrooms!), for bonus points serve over cauliflower rice!

I’m sure there are a tonne of other tips out there to help increase your vegetable consumption but the list above should help get you started towards your 5 (or 7) plus a day! Stay tuned for some recipes that will help you increase your vegetable consumption too.

What is your favourite vegetable or way to use vegetables? – comment and let me know, I love hearing from you!