In honor of today being #WorldVegetarianDay, I thought I'd give you guys some fun ways to get more vegetables and fruits in your diet!
Having trouble getting your recommended 4-5 servings of fruits + veggies per day? You're not alone! Most people struggle to get enough vegetables in their diet, so I made this easy list of ways to eat more veggies and fruits!
Not only is it important to get a higher QUANTITY of vegetables, but you also want a bigger VARIETY of veggies and fruits in your diet, too. Many of the functional medicine docs I work with recommend getting 30 different types of a mix of vegetables and fruits in your diet each week.
If you're struggling to get enough plants in your diet, try a few (or all) of these easy tips.
1. Shop at your local Farmer's Market
There's no better way to get more variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet than by shopping at a Farmer's Market. Not only can you shop produce that is seasonal, ripe, and fresh, but you can also chat with the farmers directly about fun ways to use the produce in your recipes. The Farmer's Market is a great place to get inspired to try new fruits and vegetables. I love Urban Harvest Farmer's Market because not only do they have the biggest market in Houston, but they also require their vendors to use mostly locally sourced ingredients. So, if you choose to grab breakfast there while you shop, you're definitely eating some local produce! They've also got several plant-based vendors such as Pat Greer's Kitchen.
2. Plan the meal around the plant
Traditionally, meals are planned around the protein source- meat, fish, etc. Try experimenting with planning your meal around a vegetable or fruit, and see how it easy it becomes to get more plants in your diet! Pick a fruit or vegetable that inspires you and then look up recipes that use that plant. You can go seasonal, too. For example- in the Fall season, try looking up recipes that use butternut squash (like this delicious butternut squash soup!) and in the summer, try something fun with watermelon (like this Balsamic Watermelon Chicken Salad... yum!).
3. Keep greens on hand
You can add leafy greens to pretty much any dish! Add a handful of spinach into your smoothie (try my one of my delicious + healthy smoothie recipes) or add some leafy greens into a stew or chili. Greens like kale, spinach and arugula go well in tomato sauces, on a sandwich, or even just as a side salad with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
4. Cook with fresh herbs
Cook with fresh herbs whenever you can! Not only do fresh herbs promote cardiovascular health + heavy metal detoxification, but they also taste 10x better than dried herbs. Add fresh herbs to pretty much any dish you make to really make the flavors stand out (plus, fresh herbs are super aesthetic!). With most fresh herbs, you'll want to add them to your dish late in the cooking process so they maintain a potent flavor.
5. Consider a plant-based meal prep company (like Prep to Your Door)
If you hate to cook (or don't have time), a meal prep company will be your saving grace!
Prep to Your Door is my favorite meal prep company for many reasons- they are female-founded, local to Texas and they are zero-waste! PTYD's menu features delicious plant-based salads, raw foods, chilis, stews, bowls, smoothies, and more! They even have breakfast items and plant-based DESSERTS (these chocolate chip cookies are my kryptonite). Use code HALEYSTREAT for $19 off your first delivery of $50+.
Happy #WorldVegetarianDay -- how do you plan to get more plants in this week?? If you are in houston and want to check out the best restaurants that I have gone to click here, there are some vegan and vegetarian options in the list.
