Eating clean takes effort.
Many of us use spring as an opportunity to clean up our diets. Â The crisp, seasonal produce and the warmer air lends itself to lightening up our dishes. Â Adieu, winter squashes.
However, the feeling in the air alone doesn’t make it easier to eat cleaner.  Eating better does take some forethought.
Skinny Girl Thai Greek Sauce
As part of the Food Buzz Tastemakers program, I was selected to take the Green Giant Veg Pledge. Â This is a two-week pledge to eat one more cup of vegetables per day. Â I am especially excited to have the extra motivation to step away from the Peeps and towards the rabbit food.
Beet Sunflower Pesto
Who else is up for the challenge?
To help us get started, here are some ways I like to add additional veggies to my diet:
- Add a handful of spinach to smoothies/shakes – it will turn your beverage green, but you’ll never taste a difference. Â Check out this green spinach smoothie: Â
- Before dinner each night, begin with a side salad – this can get your greens in and help you to fill up on the good stuff before filling up on heavier fare
- Use greens in place of carbs, like I did with these collard tacos
- Keep pre-cut veggies in your fridge for a quick grab-and-go snack
- Shop the perimeters of the grocery store – if you don’t meander down the cookie aisle, those treats won’t end up in your pantry at home and you’ll be “forced” to choose a healthier (veggie) snack option
- Turn salads into meals by “eating the rainbow” – add colorful veggies like beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sugar peas, raw yellow squash/zucchini, etc. (Check out these lunch salad ideas!)Â
- Add a veggie or two to your usual meals: saute spinach and mushrooms to go with scrambled eggs, toss some kale into soups, serve grains in a roasted red pepper or tomato, use parsnips as rice or beans for burgers.Â
***
Will you take the Green Giant 2 Week Veg Pledge with me?
How do you incorporate more veggies into your diet?
Sounds like a great pledge! I love my veggies, and probably eat enough for 2 (or 3 people)! Some other great ways to add more veggies into your diet include grating veggies into a pasta sauce, sneaking some in burgers, and of course grilling ’em up- I am yet to meet someone who doesn’t enjoy grilled veggies, especially squash!
Pasta sauce is a great one! My mom used to do that when we were kids – hard to believe now, but it was the only way she could get any veggies in us. 🙂
Great post! Having pre-cut veggies makes a huge difference for me!
oooh i really wanted to do this one! love the idea. great tips!
You know what!? I think I WILL try to do this 🙂 I was really good for the first two months of this year, trying to make an effort to eat more veggies but we got so busy with work and the house and the puppies and visitors that I’ve really let things slide for the ‘ease’ factor. These tips are TOO easy though. Wish me luck 🙂
Awesome! You’ll have to keep me updated. 🙂
I always have a salad with dinner. Totally helps me in getting those greens in!
You’re a veggie queen! I need to restock on veggies, my fridge is looking pretty sad.
I was in the same boat on Sunday… and spent an embarrassing amount of money at Whole Foods. Whoops!
I roast vegetables at the start of the week and have them on hand to throw into stuff! I’m currently on a brussel sprout kick!
I do the same thing… and brussels are the best! I think I could eat those and sweet potatoes every day.
1 cup of veggies for you should be a piece of cake… er, perhaps “cake” isn’t the right word, but you know what I mean.
I add extra veggies to everything. I know the hubs and I eat more than the typical recipe serving, so I always throw in extra veggies to beef up the meal. Hmmm, perhaps “beef” wasn’t the best word choice either.
Mmmmm… cake… 😉
Have you ever thought about how much time you spend each day preparing healthy meals? I have- and it’s a lot, but totally worth it. Luckily, eating veggies is not a problem for me. They’re my favorite food group- and I can’t get enough! I really think it’s all about the preparation- finding a method that tastes delicious to you. For example- I wasn’t a big kale fan until about a year ago, because I had only had it steamed. Then I discovered baking it, or eating it raw with some bragg’s massaged in, and completely changed my opinion. And I am a BIG fan of “eating the rainbow.” It makes me very happy. 🙂
It can take time, but if you make it a habit it gets much easier. You are so right about preparation – I did the same thing with roasting brussles.
What great ideas for adding in more veggies! As soon as I get home from shopping I try and wash/cut my veggies right then and there. Makes SO much of a difference!
That’s great suggestion – then there’s no time to talk yourself out of prepping!
I signed up for the pledge but kind of had to chuckle because I’m not sure how many more veggies my system can really handle…I might say the same about you green queen. 😉 [Can I have that chickpea salad please?]
I know! I actually thought I wouldn’t get picked because of it. 🙂
LOVE this post! OMFG… we are so on the same page! Check out my post today. I’m down with the pledge! Happy Tuesday chica! 😀
I totally agree! I add extra veggies to everything! Last night we had spaghetti sauce … with 2 cups of added peppers, onions, and celery to lots of tomatoes!
That’s great way to get more veggie in! I love the flavor the sauteed onions add to sauces.
I have spinach in my smoothie each morning and am a huge greens fan anyways. Gas be damned.
That is an unfortunate side effect. 😉
I love this pledge!! I’m amping the greens this week too, a mini-cleanse after a fun week of indulgence on vacation. Green smoothie breakfast & miso kale salad (with buffalo tofu) for lunch — off to a good start! 🙂
I am having lunch-envy right now.
I try to have at least one serving with each meal. Just being aware that I should have something green helps me out. Of course smoothies at breakfast help, too 🙂
That’s a great way to be sure you’re getting them in! I try to do the same thing myself. Cheers to green smoothies!
Say yes to more veggies!!
I’m always up for a challenge involving veggies! Great way to eat more veggies? Move and have nothing BUT veggies in your fridge, haha. I have no choice–it’s greens or nothing at the moment. Although I could cut into the whole pineapple my friend gave me, but I”m a little intimidated…
Ohhhh… do the pineapple! I had one last week was was amazing. 🙂
I’m snacking on edamame right now 🙂
Me too!!
I am definitely trying to eat more veg–part of it is always having snackable veggies at work with me. Good luck with the pledge–I don’t think it will be much of a challenge for you!
I love your blog and admire how determined you are to be fit!! I wanted to get more info from you about the 21 day cleanse that you did. I would like to start the cleanse and was wondering if you used Standard Process this last time you cleansed? Thanks for the info.
Amber
Thanks! Feel free to shoot me an email. I did a modified version of the SP Cleanse the second time around.
I try to put veggies in everything…even desserts if I can get away with it.
I am on board for the challenge as I am going vegan for April (part of a PETA challenge).
Can’t wait to see what you have to show us to help put more veggies in our diet.
Have a great Tuesday Laura!
You are going to kill this challenge going vegan for the month! I’ll be excited to see what you create. 🙂
Great tips and ideas here – love to go on board with this whole eating-vegetables idea 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Come aboard then!!! I’d love for you to make me a veggie dessert. 🙂
I pledge! 🙂 I need to keep more pre cut veggies in the fridge (you know, besdies the broccoli slaw). Great tips and ideas!
I pledge! I pledge!
Can I do a 2 day veggie challenge?? 🙂
2 is better than none! 🙂
Amazingly I do eat a lot of fruit and veggies. A glutton does have to watch his figure!
Wine = Grapes = Fruit
LOL. Exactly!
Great post! And this something I really need to be better about!
I am fully on board with this challenge!! At the minute I would say around 50% of my daily eats are veg so I’m sure i can squeeze some more in!! 🙂 I reckon the best way I get my veg in is through juicing.
I have been out of your blog loop for a week and my goodness I missed a lot! What a great challenge. Count me in. Love the whole rabbit food line too! Hope all is well, have a vegtastic weekend, lady.
I love the idea of a “vegtastic” weekend. Awesome. Hope you have one as well. 🙂
Sounds like a good idea. I’m notoriously bad at eating my vegies 🙂 I have to bake them into pancakes, cakes, muffins etc, in smoothies and that kind of thing. It’s not that I don’t like vegies – I’m just too lazy to prepare them!
I do eat a lot of raw carrot though. It’s a good snack!
Baking with veggies still counts! I am with you on the carrots – I eat so much orange stuff it’s amazing I don’t turn orange!
So glad we’re doing this together!!! Though ohmygosh how freaking behind am I on posts!? Girl i’ve been reading your blog all afternoon to catch up =) Love. It. So.