Make an Effort to Eat More Veggies
We know, we know – this is the most obvious healthy eating tip there is, but it also has one of the most significant affects on your overall health! Here are a few tips for incorporating more vegetables into your diet.
Eating vegetables does provide health benefits, as people who eat more vegetables and fruit as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. As no fruit or veggie provides all the nutrients we need in a day, it’s best to try to incorporate a variety into your diet.
It’s fairly easy to incorporate veggies into your lunch and supper, but try having a savory breakfast a few times a week to bump up your veggie intake as well. Give an omelette with spinach, mushroom, and green pepper a try or add spinach or kale to your morning smoothie!
Add as much colour as you can to your plate. For example, leafy greens (arugula, spinach), vibrant yellows (peppers), orange (carrots, sweet potatoes), or purple (beets)! A good guideline is to try to have at least 3 different colours on your plate; this will help you to eat a variety of healthy vegetables.
Here are a few healthy veggies to incorporate into your diet:
- Asparagus. Asparagus is great for getting vitamin K into your diet.
- Beets. This vibrant vegetable is great for your blood and circulation. Add them to a smoothie for a bright twist!
- Carrots. We all love carrots, which is great, because carrots are great for us too. Carrots are rich in vitamin A and other antioxidants. They are also known as an anti-aging food as they are good for maintaining healthy hair, skin, and nails.
- Arugula. These leafy greens will help reduce inflammation while hydrating and detoxifying your body. Add Arugula to any salad to bump up the flavor.
- Radishes. Radishes are great for removing waste and toxins from the body. Add them to any salad for a ‘spicy’ addition.
- For more information on vegetables to eat this Spring, click here.
Start a Herb Garden
Nothing makes a meal even better like fresh herbs do. Buying fresh herbs from the grocery store can be pricey and tricky to eat if you don’t plan out the meals you are going to use them in. Consider starting your own herb garden! Herbs are easy to take care of and will keep supplying you with delicious freshness all Spring and Summer long. Don’t forget to label your herbs so you know exactly what you are adding to your recipes. If you’re not sure where to start with starting your own herb garden, click here for a helpful resource.
If you’re ready for the next step on your journey to become an at-home horticulturalist, try growing your own produce! Tomatoes, peppers, garden peas, and beans are all great from the garden. Here is a great resource to help you get started on growing your own produce.
Don’t Forget the Fruit
Do you ever look forward to having fresh fruit to eat during the Spring and Summer seasons? Living in Saskatchewan can mean not you don’t always have access to ripe juicy strawberries in January. This does give us something to look forward to once things start to warm up. Take advantage of some delicious seasonal fruit options! If you are tired of eating apples and bananas every week, try something new.
Playing around with different smoothie recipes is another fun way to start eating different kinds of fruit. Here are a few smoothie recipes to try.
If you’re not a smoothie fan, try making a smoothie bowl by pouring the blended mixture into a bowl and adding fresh toppings: more fruit, oats, or nuts.
Spring Clean Your Go-to Meals
Have you been eating the same meals all winter long? Now is the time to try a new recipe OR modify a meal you eat frequently to include more fruits and vegetables. If your favourite meal happens to be spaghetti and meatballs, try adding more veggies to your tomato sauce! Celery, carrots, peppers, peas, asparagus, mushrooms, or spinach all make great additions. You don’t have to stop eating your favourite foods to add valuable nutrition to your meals. Take a few moments to think about how you can add more fresh produce to your weekly meals.
BBQ All Summer Long
Most of us look forward to grilling during the long winter months. It’s a great way to spend some time outside while preparing dinner, and it helps keep the dinner clean up job to a minimum as you can cook directly on the grill. Expand your grilling go-to’s beyond meat and give BBQ’d asparagus or veggie skewers a try. Trying new cooking techniques with different veggies is a great way to switch up eating vegetables the same way all the time.
Try out some of these tips to stay eating well this Spring and Summer!
Looking for another way to stay well in your life? A Personal Health Plan from Saskatchewan Blue Cross offers health coverage to help you keep your body functioning at its best.