The human body needs six essential nutrients. They include protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. These nutrients cannot be made by the body, so we have to eat foods that contain them.
Over 60% of the human body is made of water, so it constantly needs to be replenished. Protein and fats come from plants and animals. Carbohydrates also come from plant-based sources. Vitamins and minerals also come from several different sources, including plants and animals.
Vegetables are some of the best sources of all of the essential nutrients, including protein and water. If you have difficulty figuring out how to add more vegetables to your diet, take a look at these six practical ideas.
- Make soup
An easy way to include more veggies in your diet is to make vegetable soup. Use vegetable broth and include vegetables like tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach. You can use root vegetables like squash to make a creamy soup. Throw in some toasted pumpkin seeds for a little crunch.
2. Try veggie noodles
If you eat too much pasta and not enough vegetables, start making your pasta out of vegetables. There are spiralizers that will help you turn zucchini into zoodles. You can also find spiralized vegetables in the frozen veggie section of most grocery stores.
3. Add veggies to smoothies
We usually think of smoothies as being filled with fruit, but when you throw some veggies in, the nutritional value increases. Zucchini and spinach are two good choices because they don’t add much flavor. If you want a little zing in the smoothie, consider adding beets. You’ll love the color they add, too. Another great choice, especially during the fall, is pumpkin. The orange vegetable will put the smooth in your smoothie.
4. Try plant-based “meat”
Plant-based meat is becoming a staple on restaurant menus around the country. You can substitute plant-based meat anywhere that you would normally use regular meat. Many people cannot tell the difference between traditional meat and plant-based options. The plant-based options include more healthy nutrients and no unhealthy fats.
5. Use cauliflower in place of rice or wheat
If you look in the frozen food sections of your grocery store, you will find riced cauliflower and pizza crusts made of the nutritious white vegetable. The riced version of cauliflower can be used for nearly everything that you would use rice for, with the exception of pudding. And, the cauliflower pizza crusts are delicious. You can make your own if you prefer to have a fresh cauliflower instead of frozen.
6.Wrap your sandwich in greens
Another way to add more veggies into your diet is to replace your bread with greens. Try wrapping a sandwich in a big piece of romaine lettuce or bibb lettuce. The bigger lettuce leaves work well, and they not only add vitamins and minerals but water, too. People regularly put lettuce in their sandwiches. If you love the crunch of lettuce in your sandwich, you’ll love it on the outside, too.
