Easy Ways to Incorporate More Vegetables into Your Diet

Posted On Aug 19, 2019 By Bowflex Insider Team

Whether you don’t really like the taste of vegetables, struggle to get enough of them in your diet or cook for a picky eater, we all can agree they are an important part of our diet and provide crucial minerals and nutrients to keep us healthy. The USDA recommends that children ages 2-8 eat 1-1 ½ cups of vegetables per day, and adult men and women need to consume 2-3 cups of vegetables per day depending on age. This can be a challenge for those who like eating veggies, let alone for those who do not.

Luckily, there are easy ways for you to incorporate more vegetables into your diet without having to sacrifice the taste or texture of the foods you love. Here are just a few ways you can sneak in more vegetables into foods you already eat to ensure you are consuming the recommended amount of vegetables each day:

  • Spaghetti sauce

    Vegetables, like zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions and spinach, are all great options to add to tomato sauce if you struggle to eat enough veggies. Try steaming and pureeing them before adding to the sauce for especially picky eaters. You can also try sneaking vegetables in meatballs, which are meal-prep-friendly and freeze well to save for last-minute meals.

  • Pasta

    Veggie noodles have become popular over the past few years for good reason. This pasta alternative allows you to cut out some carbs and instead get an extra serving of vegetables, which is a win-win! Try using zucchini, squash, cucumber or even roasted spaghetti squash the next time you are craving pasta, and combine with a veggie packed sauce for even more nutrients.

  • Scrambled eggs

    Adding spinach, grated cauliflower or minced broccoli to scrambled eggs is a great way to add more veggies in the morning without changing the texture of the dish too much.

  • Burgers

    Dice up your favorite veggies, like mushrooms, onions, carrots or peppers, and add them to your burger patties as a great way to not only bulk up your burger with an extra serving of vegetables, but add loads of flavor to your dish.

  • Pancakes

    This one may surprise you! Adding pureed vegetables, like beets or pumpkin and butternut squash to pancakes not only makes them a fun color, but allows you to sneak in a serving of veggies in the morning. Pumpkin and butternut squash are technically fruits, but contain a lot of great nutrients that are found in vegetables, and can be quite tasty when added to pancake.