How To Sneak More Vegetables Into Your Diet? | with Laura Bond
Many of us wouldn’t dream of missing out on our morning coffee, but when it comes to veggies, they often take a back seat until dinnertime.
The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report shows that only one in 10 adults are eating enough greens each day: 96 per cent of men and 87 per cent of women do not eat enough vegetables[1].
Part of the problem is the prep involved with vegetables – peeling, chopping, dressing- isn’t always compatible with our busy lifestyles. So how can we make it easier to get more greens in? Try these things:
Prep Lunch at Breakfast
Before you flick the kettle on in the morning, switch the oven to 200c and pop in a beetroot and sweet potato (skin on). By the time you finish breakfast/getting ready (60 mins) you will have cooked veg to slice and pop in a salad or sandwich.
Cauliflower Rice/ Mash
For rice, simply cut up florets, blitz them in a blender for a few seconds, fry with a little oil for 2 minutes in a pan. You can serve cauliflower rice on its own or simply add to your regular rice for an extra hit of fibre and phytonutrients (including anti-cancer sulforaphane). To pimp your mash simply steam a handful of cauliflower florets and add to your potatoes.
Sauerkraut
We might think of sauerkraut as a condiment, but it’s a serve of cabbage of course! The fermenting process means the vitamin C levels in the cabbage soar and its also rich in enzymes and probiotics for gut health. If you’re a newbie start with 1 or 2 tsp and increase to a tbsp if well tolerated (for some conditions, like SIBO, fermented vegetables can make symptoms worse).
Simple Salad Dressing
Our best intentions will falter when we are starving, so try and set yourself up for success by having ingredients ready to go. For a quick salad dressing I mix the following together:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tsp raw honey.
Pour this over salad leaves, steamed veggies for the kids or quinoa. You can also make a larger batch and store this in a jar in the fridge.
[1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-08/fewer-than-one-in-10-adults-eating-enough-veg-report-says/101217484
Looking for more tips to keep you and your family healthy? You can book a one-on-one consultation with Laura here. As well as offering functional medical tests, Laura provides meal plans and recipes as part of her consultation.
Love Laura
Laura is a qualified Nutritional Therapist who is passionate about pre and post-natal nutrition as well as children’s health. She also loves helping mum’s create meal plans or weaning programmes for fussy eaters as well as tailored diets for those dealing with chronic digestive issues or who are living with or beyond cancer.
