Sneak It In: Add More Vegetables to Every Meal
By Sara Butler
The dinner table can be the biggest struggle of your day -- specifically getting your children to eat all of their vegetables. Children should get three to five servings of vegetables per day to be healthy (as should everyone else) but many fall short. To try to make dinnertime a bit easier and to help sneak a few more vegetables into everyone's day, here are some tricks you can use to add more vegetables to every meal.
Breakfast
If your kids love eggs, then serve up a frittata. All you have to do is scramble some eggs and then throw in some vegetables such as tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, peas, onions, or artichokes. The more vegetables you can add, the more filling and satisfying the frittata can be.
If that doesn't sound like something you can sneak past your toddler squad, then try pureeing a vegetable and add to such things as pancakes or smoothies. Vegetables such as butternut squash are a little sweet and easy to puree to add a little more nutrition to the start of your day.
Snacks
The easier you can make snacking, the better. Part of the reason people reach for unhealthy snacks is that they're convenient, but if you can prep snacks ahead of time that are healthy, then you're making healthy choices that much easier to make.
Cut up some carrots to dip in hummus or pea pods to have a little ranch. Cucumber and peppers are also great for dipping, so get your snacks squared away to help ensure your family is getting what they need in the vegetable department each day.
Lunch and Dinner
Employ one of your breakfast tricks by pureeing vegetables to add to your soups, stews, sauces, and casseroles. You can add cauliflower, squash, zucchini, or even sweet potatoes to a variety of dishes and no one will be able to tell! You can also spiralize vegetables in order to replace pasta in recipes. This is an easy way to add more vegetables to your day!
Ninja Level
If you really want to kick it up a notch, give your child vegetables in a package they can't resist: dessert. Chocolate desserts have such a strong flavor that you can hide just about anything in them. You can add avocados to chocolate brownies or puddings or add black beans to your brownies. It's just an expert way to add more nutrition to your meal!
Getting more vegetables into your meals is important -- and easy if you follow these tips!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Columbus, Ohio.