Eat Your Veggies! + A Giveaway!

Congratulations to our book winner,
Christy Troxell-Thomasgreen and red healthy food

Veggies are so awesome that even though they?re complex carbs, we?ve given them their very own group in carb cycling! In fact, you can eat 2 handfuls of non-root/non-starchy type veggies with every. single. meal. 🙂

So why do veggies deserve such a distinction? They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and have amazing health benefits:

Veggies pretty much nourish every part of your body! And one of their main benefits? They are so low in calories that you can fill up with veggies without even making hardly a dent in your daily calorie bank account. Try doing that with any other food group!

I?m often asked about fresh vs. frozen vs. canned veggies. While fresh, in season veggies are best, frozen and canned are great alternatives because fresh veggies start to lose their nutrients within days. Since the frozen and canned variety are picked and then processed at their peak, they continue to hold the majority of their nutrients for an extended period of time. Processing actually increases the lycopene found in tomatoes, which protects you against heart disease and even some cancers. And what?s the best part about choosing frozen or canned veggies? They allow you to eat your favorites year-round! They?re also quick and easy to prepare, and you?ll save money because you?ll throw away less due to spoilage. Just be sure to choose no sugar and low or no salt added varieties.

Since most people consume only about half of the recommended servings of veggies each day, here are some ideas to help you add more of these nutritional necessities into your diet:

  • Add a handful of spinach to your smoothie. You won?t even know it?s there!
  • Buy pre-washed bags of salad.
  • Pre-package your own veggies for a healthy, on-the-go snack.
  • Add veggies to sandwiches and soups.
  • Choose to snack on veggies instead of other not-so-healthy options.
  • Get creative?try something new! You might discover a new favorite. 😉
  • Make sure your veggies are colorful!
  • Just gotta? have ranch dip with your veggies? Try this healthier version: 1) Mix together equal parts each of onion powder, dried dill, and garlic powder. 2) Mix in three times the amount used for the ingredients in step 1 (if you used 1 tablespoon for step 1, use 3 tablespoons in this step) of dried parsley. 3) Add sea salt and pepper taste. 4) Add this mix (to taste) to plain nonfat Greek yogurt and enjoy!

What creative things do you do to incorporate more veggies into your day? Share your ideas in the comments below. Winner of the?autographed copy of Chris? book, Choose to Lose?was chosen randomly and announced on Friday, March 14, 2014.

Now go eat your veggies! 🙂

142 Responses

  1. We put veggies in everything around here. I make a lot of soups and throw in whatever I have on hand. I put kale and spinach in smoothies. We make “egg muffins” during our food prep and add different veggies to them every week.
    And of course we love to snack on them cold. My daughter’s favorite is celery and cream cheese, I love carrots and hummus. I can’t wait until winter is over here and we can get more fresh vegetables!

  2. When I meal prep on Sunday for the week I always have baggies full of veggies for on the go and there is NO excuse!

  3. I never leave home without a bag of veggies and I (try my hardest to) never offer my daughter a snack that doesn’t include a veggie. I grew up eating plates of raw veggies for snacks and I like that I can pass that on.

  4. I am a carb lover with pizza being my favorite so now when I get that craving I make a cauliflower crust and add my fresh cut up veggies on too. Tastes great and is a much healthier option! 🙂

  5. I was recently diagnosed with uterine cancer. A friend shared an article about asparagus reducing the size of cancer and possibly preventing it. I cook it up and put it in the blender and am supposed to have 4 TBL twice a day. I love it. I am eating asparagus for breakfast!! I usually have the other with my dinner in the evening. I really am enjoying it and praying that helps with my cancer

  6. I love peppers, so I cut them up and pack them for snacks. Also I make a meal out of sliced cucumbers and carrots in a low fat italian dressing. YUM!

  7. We use lettuce instead of bread for sandwiches and my lasagna always has extra veges like zucchini and spinach in it!!!

  8. I am learning to eat more vegetables. I am a very picky eater. I am 31 years old and only just within the past year had my first experience with avocado AND asparagus! Can you believe that!

  9. I put veggies in everything. Spinach especially. I wrap spinach in my deli meat for snacks. I add it to my breakfast sandwich. I add a ton of veggies to every sauce I make. Veggies are definitely the most versatile food group!

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