The average American only eats half the recommended servings of vegetables per day (and we should be getting in 2.5 cups minimum, but more is even better!). As Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at NYU, says, “Experiment! There are so many options available, and great ways to prepare them that are truly fun and delicious. Eating more vegetables should be a pleasure.”

Another fact I read in the current Eating Well magazine (one of my favorites): A recent review of 95 studies published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that for every 7 ounces of fruits and veggies you add to your diet every day, the risk of most common diseases (like cancer, heart disease and stroke) reduces significantly.

One way to get these all-important food staples in? Try a vegan meal kit service to change things up and cut down on cooking time when you’re busy. I’m looking forward to trying Purple Carrot (purplecarrot.com). Their recipes highlight unique ingredients like jackfruit, chickpea flatbread and tempeh. Enjoy a $20 discount of your first order.

Some additional ways to get in more veggies:

  • Add them to your breakfast, often a place where we skip them. Chop, slice or shred veggies and throw them into eggs, muffins, pancakes, smoothies or grain bowls.
  • Replace one snack with vegetables. Green beans, carrots and celery/cucumber make great mid-day pick-me-ups, especially when dipped into something tasty, like hummus.
  • Make sure half your plate at meals is filled with non-starchy vegetables. A meal is not complete without some of this color on your plate! (Even this ice cream has some hidden spinach!)
  • Use a spiralizer or mandoline to slice vegetables thinly and use them creatively. Crisp them up like fries, use as chips or add thin slices to salads or other dishes.
  • Replace rice with cauliflower, broccoli or other veggie “rice.”
  • Stack vegetables on sandwiches and use them as toppings for pizza.

Read other ways to get more veggies in here.

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