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Although the Canadian food guide recommends 7-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, only less than 30% of Canadians reach the daily target. Perhaps you are part of the 70% of us who aren’t getting enough vegetables in on a daily basis (or perhaps you are part of the 10% in which case we should be getting tips from you!).
Regardless, we could all use a creative refresher and learn how to incorporate more veggies into your diet.
Throw Handfuls in Sauces
Here’s what I like to call a prime, yet practical, example. If you are making spaghetti sauce, cook up peppers, onions and mushrooms with the beef or lentils. Then add huge handfuls of leafy greens (like spinach) near the end of cooking the sauce. You’ll be surprised at how fast the raw spinach will disappear into your sauce. Not only will this add texture and visual appeal to your sauce, but also a tasty and nutritious boost!
Spiralize
Spiralizing allows you to form noodles from vegetables such as zucchini, carrot, sweet potato etc. Veggie noodles provide a more nutrient dense by replacing some, or even all, of the pasta noodles. Not ready to fully commit? Try half and half- blend the veggie noodles with pasta and get the best of both worlds.
Spiralizing is a fun way for your kids to see and eat vegetables. Plus, you can get them to help out in making the meal and they will be more likely to be excited about trying the noodles. You can even use these veggie noodles in lasagna and other casseroles!
Sneak Them into Baked Goods
Grated or pureed vegetables can go completely unnoticed in baked goods. Pumpkin, rhubarb, sweet potato, eggplant, and zucchini are some common vegetables found in healthy baked goods.
Perfect for picky eaters, you can add these vegetables into breads, brownies, muffins, cookies and even cinnamon rolls without compromising on taste or texture. If you’re in need of some healthy recipes and inspiration, then head on over to our Instagram page here.
Choose a Good Dip
Eating raw veggies without a dip is like driving with out the radio on, it just goes together! No matter how old you are, chances are you’re dipping your carrot sticks into something. Whether it’s hummus or ranch dip, you’ve got to have something nutritious on hand.
Try a homemade nut butter or black bean dip for even more fibre. Or make a healthy avocado dip or Greek yogurt based tzatziki. Raw vegetables don’t have to be boring- these healthy dips keep the flavor full and snacking experience great.
Make Chips
A newer way of meeting your vegetable intake goals is to bake them into chips. Vegetables can be cut thinly and lightly coated with olive oil and spices, then baked for roughly 10 minutes at 375°F. The result is a crispy chip alternative that will satisfy any savory craving.
Try vegetables like kale, seaweed, sweet potato, beets, zucchini and parsnip. If this sounds like too much work, you can buy veggie chips at most grocery stores and keep them on hand for healthy snacking on busy days (just be careful of the sodium content!).
Make Veggies the Base
A newer way of meeting your vegetable intake goals is to bake them into chips. Vegetables can be cut thinly and lightly coated with olive oil and spices, then baked for roughly 10 minutes at 375°F. The result is a crispy chip alternative that will satisfy any savory craving.
Try vegetables like kale, seaweed, sweet potato, beets, zucchini and parsnip. If this sounds like too much work, you can buy veggie chips at most grocery stores and keep them on hand for healthy snacking on busy days (just be careful of the sodium content!).