No matter your philosophy or school when it comes to nutrition, most people agree that eating more vegetables is a way to support your overall health, manage weight, and prevent chronic disease. Vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals and fiber that support good digestion and health of our gut bacteria. I often notice that people get bogged down in not liking very many vegetables, so sometimes browsing a list of non-starchy vegetables can help you get started. Check out the list and make a note of the vegetables you like. You can also write down the preparation methods that you like for these vegetables. Keep this list handy in your kitchen or better yet on your fridge as a reminder of ways that you enjoy eating vegetables. Also browse my list of ways to get more vegetables into day, and see if you can incorporate more, and add these new ways to your list.
I usually recommend seeing where your vegetable intake is, and then slowly starting to increase that closer to at least 5 servings per day with 1 serving = 1/2 cup for most vegetables or 1 cup for raw leafy greens.
List of non-starchy vegetables
Bean Sprouts
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Asparagus
Green Beans
Greens (kale, chard, dandelion greens, collards, lettuce, spinach)
Kohlrabi
Mushrooms
Onions
Peapods
Spaghetti Squash
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Turnips
Zucchini
Breakfast
Veggie omelet
Egg bake or quiche with onions/mushrooms/peppers/spinach/kale/tomatoes
Add cucumber and kale or spinach to a smoothie
Lunch/Dinner
Roasted broccoli or cauliflower
Roast onions, carrots, and beets with olive oil or underneath a whole roast chicken
Sauté onions, mushrooms, and kale and add to tomato sauce
Use spaghetti squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead or regular pasta
Add kale, chard, or collard greens to soups toward the end of the cooking time. The greens add nutrients and take on the flavor of the soup.
Chop kale finely and add to chili.
Load up homemade pizza with veggies: onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, kale.
Try a cauliflower, zucchini, or spaghetti squash pizza crust.
Zucchini fritters
Triple A salad
Salad with protein
Keep it simple salad – greens, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado with dressing
Cauliflower “rice”
Cauliflower mashed “potatoes”
Add onions and spinach or kale to taco meat
Kale chips
Cabbage slaw
Fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi and get beneficial bacteria too!
Red Cabbage with Apples and Onions
Snacks
Eat carrots, celery, snap peas, sliced cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes with hummus
Celery with nut butter
Pair vegetables with a hardboiled egg
