Eating more fruits and vegetables can help you maintain a more balanced body composition and protect you from disease.
It seems everywhere you turn, health and wellness experts are telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables.
You get it, right?
Yes, they’re full of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, etc.).
Yes, people who eat more fruits and vegetables live longer, healthier lives. Not to mention they are protecting their bodies and minds from just about every chronic disease out there.
Yes, eating more vegetables, as long as they are not breaded, fried, or covered in a cream sauce, can help you maintain a more balanced body composition.
Your question is not “Should I eat more fruits and vegetables,” but “How can I actually do it?”
The key is to start from where you are. It's not necessary or even recommended that you overhaul your entire eating style in one day. Wherever you’re at now, I invite you to increase your intake a little bit at a time.
To help you get started, here are some helpful ideas on exactly HOW to add more fruits and vegetables to your meals!
1️⃣ ADD THEM TO OTHER DISHES
Some dishes are super-easy to enhance with a bit of strategically placed produce. Here's how:
Add ½ apple, a small handful of leafy greens, or berries into your smoothie.
Love sandwiches? Add an extra slice of tomato, lettuce, or cucumber to it.
How about chicken, tuna, or salmon salad? Dice or shred up celery, carrot, broccoli, zucchini, or peppers and throw it in.
Love to bake? Substitute ¼ cup of the sugar for ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce.
Making spaghetti? Add in some mushrooms or peppers.
2️⃣ MAKE THEM TASTE MORE DELICIOUS
Steam some frozen corn and add a touch of olive oil and your favorite herb or spice.
Use veggies as your sandwich “bread” by making a lettuce wrap.
Don’t be afraid to spice them up! Try sauteing them for 10 minutes with a drizzle of oil and flavor them with your favorite spices and seasonings.
3️⃣ OPT FOR THEM AS SNACKS
Why not throw a banana, apple, or a couple of Cuties (clementines) into your lunch bag?
Instead of chips, try some crunchy carrot, celery, broccoli, cucumber, or cauliflower with a dip like hummus, guacamole, or even your favorite salad dressing.
Love sweetened yogurt? Buy plain, and mix in fresh or frozen berries.
GIVE IT A TRY
Take one or two of these suggestions and try them out. Just add two more fruits and veggies to the number you’re at today.
And if you’re not an instant fan, try again.
Research shows that sometimes it takes our taste buds several tries before actually beginning to like a new flavor.
You can do it!
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ABOUT MARISSA365
Hey there! My name is Maríssa Rivera-Davis (she/her). I am a PN-Certified nutrition coach, GGS-certified womxn's fitness coaching specialist, licensed Zumba® Fitness instructor, and the founder of Her365 Fitness, a studio/gym & wellness community for womxn.
I help busy and overwhelmed womxn develop intuitive self-care practices around eating, exercise/movement, and rest so they can finally break free from the harmful cycles of dieting and the pursuit of body-image "ideals."
My mission is to help womxn feel empowered to live authentically & more joyfully in the body they have right now.
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