March is National Nutrition Month and maybe you’re trying every day to maximize your daily nutrition but sometimes there’s just so much information out there it’s easy to lose sight of the trees through the woods-or whatever that saying is.
You might be so focused on intermittent fasting and losing weight or avoiding certain foods that trigger GI or autoimmune symptoms that you lose sight of what you ARE actually eating. Been there!
๏ปฟSo here’s to some very simple reminders on incorporating fruits and vegetables into more meals and snacks on a regular basis in order to make the most of every day!
Simple Easy-to-Implement Nutrition Hacks to Maximize your daily Nutrition
Add veggies to smoothies!
Use fruit to sweeten, but don’t miss the chance to maximize your veggie intake! Baby spinach, lettuce, cucumber are all great fresh add-ins. And believe it or not, cauliflower, sweet potato, and zucchini all work well in a smoothie too (fresh or frozen!) to provide thickness and an extra punch of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to support healing and prevent inflammation.
Tip: Aim for 1 cup of leafy greens and/or ½ cup (in addition to ½-1 cup frozen fruit) of one other veggie. Adjust to taste.
Go for color! ๐
Try to pick 5 different colored fruits and veggies each day for a variety of health benefits specific to each color-because nature is cool like that ๐
Sneak them in
Whether it’s because they’re not your fave or maybe you have little people who haven’t embraced the love for veg, consider adding shredded or puréed veggies like butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, or spinach to sauces, casseroles, pasta dishes, and soups. You get a great health benefit with very little change to flavor or texture.
Change up your chip!
Dip with veggies instead of chips- or for the picky ones offer a mix of crackers/chips and veggies. Kids (and adults) might surprise you that when offered a colorful mix, they might occasionally stray from chips to try out a colorful carrot or cucumber.
Dress up otherwise plain dishes with color and health!
Pizza, tacos, baked potatoes, kabobs, and salads all look and taste better with some additional texture, color, and flavor from diced veggies.
Keep it simple!
Buy frozen veggies if you plan to cook them or add to a smoothie. Frozen fruit and veggies are just as nutritious (sometimes more so!) than fresh—and the chopping is done for you!
What tricks have you found to increase your veggie intake on a daily basis?
