If you’re like most people, you might believe that eating healthily with an abundance of vegetables requires a lot of work. From meal planning to shopping to buying quality ingredients – it can seem like a huge effort. That’s not to say the effort isn’t worth it. But it's an effort that sometimes seems easier to simply avoid.

Eating the right foods, especially vegetables, is essential to better health. But what if you’re not a huge fan of shopping, chopping, and prepping? Often the things that are the best at keeping us healthy and nourished aren’t always on the easiest path to take. It takes some skill building, practice, and trial and error to find your sweet spot for adding health into your day, every day. One great place to start is by finding some simple ways to add more vegetables to your day. 

HERE ARE MY FOUR FAVOURITE WAYS TO ADD MORE VEGETABLES TO YOUR DAY:

1. USE VEGETABLES TO KICK OFF YOUR DAY

Vegetables are not just for lunch and dinner. You can kick off every morning with vegetables on your plate. Throw a handful of kale or spinach into your morning smoothie, use last night’s leftover vegetables to add to an omelet, or warm leftovers up by frying in some ghee with eggs or meat.

We are conditioned to have a sweet start to our day; however, there are many other delicious ways to that help maximise your vegetable intake. Getting them in early means you’re well on your way to eating your daily servings of vegetables by dinner time. Look for some inspiration on nomnompaleo.com/recipeindex

2. GO FOR FROZEN

Fresh vegetables are most often the better option. But chopping and preparing vegetables from scratch isn’t always practical for many of us. So stock up on frozen vegetables on your next supermarket run. (Costco is a great source of organic frozen vegetables.)

Most often, the vegetables are snap-frozen straight after picking and therefore retain a lot of their nutritional value. Having frozen vegetables on hand means you don’t have to skip the vegetables when you’re low on time or energy.

3. DOUBLE UP

When you’re preparing salads, soups, pasta sauce, or a healthy casserole, double the amount of vegetables that the recipe calls for, and double the recipe so you have leftovers for tomorrow. Stir extra vegetables (especially leafy greens) into your soups, or put an extra portion into your sauce. You’ll enhance flavor and nutritional value – so it’s a win-win!

4. JOIN THE MEATLESS MONDAY MOVEMENT

Have you started going meatless on Mondays yet? This is an excellent way to get more vegetables onto your plate every week, and it’s simple. Just cut out meat on Mondays and dedicate more of your plate to vegetables.

If Monday is not convenient, pick another day that works for you. You will not only be lowering your food bill and trying something new, but getting more nutrients.

Vegetables are a fabulous source of many beneficial nutrients for your body. When you cut back on processed foods and ‘sneak’ more vegetables into your day; you’re making better choices that set you up for a lifetime of healthy habits.

So, what ideas have been sparked for you? What’s on the plate next week for Meatless Monday? I’d love to hear your ideas, so comment and let me know what you plan on cooking up.

If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed about how to support your health, remember that I’m here to help you by making the path clearer and easier to follow. So there’s less trial and error, wasted money, and frustration. More knowledge and understanding so you’re empowered to take charge of your health. You can book a free 15-minute discovery call to discuss whether Naturopathy (and me!) is the right match for optimizing your health.