One way to approach this is to meet your clients where they are. So, rather than using the bland recommendation of 'five-a-day' - it's discovering what their current eating habits and favourite meals are and putting them in the driving seat by coming up with their own solutions. For example, many people in the UK enjoy sandwiches for lunch—often a bland option of cheese and ham or something similar. So, if this is their current habit (making a ham sandwich for lunch each day) I'll meet them where they're at and start there as the neural circuitry is already developed in the brain, so building on this habit, rather than trying to form a new one, is going to much easier. I'll say something like, 'OK, great, in this sandwich, we have a bit of protein from the ham and carbohydrate from the bread - if you were to add any vegetables or salad to this sandwich, what would that be?' They might say something like, 'Well, I love beetroot from the jar - I could add a few slices of those in there.' Often, the clients will come up with their own solutions, and because it was their idea, they're more likely to stick to it in the long run. Another way is to encourage the use of different cooking methods to make vegetables more appealing to people. Again, asking open questions to facilitate this will be more successful than simply giving them the answers. For example, 'Can you name a time that you've eaten vegetables where you really enjoyed it?' They might say, 'Yes, I went to a pub once, and they served roasted carrots in a mustard glaze—it was delicious.' Boom, there's your answer. The more we can facilitate people to come up with their own ideas, the more likely nutritionists will have a lasting impact on their clients' lives instead of being seen as the food police perpetuating the same old nonsense from Weight Watchers in the 1970s.
With the amazing diversity vegetables have to offer, finding enjoyable options is the key to consuming more. Start with a list of the top ten favorites and rotate 6-7 them on each week's grocery list. Choose some options that can be cut and eaten fresh as well as others that may need more preparation. Getting enough vegetables in a day requires a dilligent effort for some of my clients. Since an individualized plan will be more effective long term, we discuss strategies for success. For some, they choose to double up on the vegetable servings on a single choice and for others they opt for two or more different selections. With any increase in vegetable intake, the added fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals will provide countless health benefits.
Vegetables are full of fiber and nutrients which are important for motility and maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Some great ways to increase vegetable intake include turning sandwiches into salads or lettuce wraps, substituting rice for cauliflower rice, and adding veggies to smoothies. Additionally, I like to garnish with a purpose. Instead of croutons, try using roasted chickpeas. Most vegetables are very nutrient dense so don't be afraid to pile on the veggies!
Nutritionist and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim at Dr. Lisa Young Nutrition
Answered 2 years ago
Boost your nutrient intake with a dash of creativity in the kitchen! Stir-frying is a fantastic method that keeps veggies crisp and bursting with nutrients. Swap out carbs for veggies with zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash—they're not only delicious but packed with essential vitamins and fiber. Dive into the world of soups—whip up tomato, mushroom, broccoli cheddar, or butternut squash varieties for a flavorful and nourishing meal that's a breeze to prepare.
Registered Dietitian. Fertility Nutrition Expert at Live and Love Nutrition
Answered 2 years ago
10 Incredible and Easy Innovative ways to incorporate more vegetables into your diet! 1. Smash them!! Cook lots of different vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, squash, onions and carrots and once they are soft, smash them! This makes them into a sauce that you can use to toss over pasta or rice or just add it to soups. 2. Blend them! Blend leafy greens like spinach or kale with fruits and yogurt for a nutritious and tasty smoothie. 3. Vegetable noodles: Use a spiralizer to turn vegetables like zucchini, carrots, or sweet potatoes into noodles. Serve them with your favorite sauce or mix them into salads. 4. Stuffed vegetables: Hollow out bell peppers, tomatoes, or zucchini and stuff them with a mixture of quinoa, beans, ground meat and spices. Bake until tender for a satisfying meal. 5. Dress them up! Keep sliced vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers handy for snacking and dip them with your favourite chip dip! 6. Vegetable wraps: Use large lettuce leaves or collard greens as wraps instead of tortillas. Fill them with your favorite veggies, proteins, and sauces for a healthy and low-carb meal. 7. Veggie chips: Make your own chips by thinly slicing vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, or kale, and baking them until crispy. Sprinkle with seasoning for extra flavor. 8. Vegetable toppings: Add extra vegetables to your pizzas, sandwiches, or burgers. Mushrooms, onions, peppers, and tomatoes are great options for adding flavor and nutrition. 9. Vegetable-based soups: Make hearty soups using a variety of vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and peas. Blend them together for a creamy texture or leave them chunky for added texture. 10. Have them Ready! Buy them pre-washed, presliced or ready to go. OR, when you get home from the store, wash them, cut them and store them in an easy-to-access place in the refrigerator. When they are ready to go, it makes for faster and easier meal and snack prep! Be sure to eat lots of different coloured veggies to get a wide range of nutrients every day and week. The change in textures, colours and flavours keep you interested and satisfied with your meals. Try experimenting with different recipes and combinations to find what works best for you! Here are some great vegetable recipes to try-https://www.liveandlovenutrition.com/recipes/
First, cook vegetables deliciously, for example, roast or cook in a frying pan, adding seasonings like garlic and black pepper. Second, add in more veggies to the dishes you're already cooking. Saute up onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and garlic (or any combination you have on hand) and add it to rice or quinoa. Even more simply, toss in extra frozen vegetables: frozen chopped spinach goes great with anything tomato based, add corn to chili, or even add broccoli to roasted potatoes (that was a new one in my house the other day!). You never know what fun combinations you'll come up with. And don't be shy with the spices.
One innovative way I've motivated clients to eat more vegetables is through a "hidden vegetable" challenge. I challenge them to find creative ways to incorporate extra vegetables into common dishes without overtly changing the taste, texture, or appearance. This gets them thinking outside the box. For example, adding pureed spinach to spaghetti sauce, carrots to meatloaf, zucchini to muffins or lasagna, and cauliflower to mashed potatoes. I've even seen clients add kale to smoothies or juice blends for an extra nutrient boost. The goal is to make sneaking in vegetables fun, so clients view it as a game rather than a restriction. This challenge not only gets them eating more veggies, but also helps them expand their cooking creativity in the kitchen long term. The possibilities are endless, and clients often realize just how many vegetable "hiding" spots they had been overlooking in their regular meal prep.
Working with patients to eat more vegetables can be a bit challenging, yet I've found some good ways to do so. A very important thing to mention is that I work WITH my patients to find something that works for them, rather than telling each patient the same exact recommendations. A lot of my patients are simply daunted by the task of preparing vegetables and are unsure about how "best" to make them. I like to encourage them to eat them raw and in a fun way because veggies don't have to be cooked! I tell them that if they want, they can just eat a whole cucumber, or eat a bell pepper like an apple, and a lot of them are interested in trying this as it's lower effort than preparing anything. I also offer the idea of purchasing a new vegetable each week, for those patients who aren't sure about what they like and want to incorporate vegetables into their regimen more frequently. For my patients that like to cook and prepare foods, I recommend blending cauliflower rice (unseasoned) into smoothies or into pasta sauces. Spinach also blends well into smoothies. Some patients really like making green juices, so I work with them to keep the pulp in and have only a small amount of fruit to keep the sugar amount low and retain the fiber. A lot of my clients are also open to swapping meat for beans in at least one of their meals throughout the week. Beans are technically legumes, not vegetables, but they have lots of fiber and good minerals that are important for our bodies!
As a registered dietitian and chef, I've found that one innovative way to encourage clients to incorporate more vegetables into their diets is by utilizing "vegetable-forward" cooking techniques. This involves making vegetables the star of the dish rather than just a side or afterthought. For example, I create hearty vegetable-based dishes like stuffed bell peppers with quinoa and black beans, cauliflower "steaks" with chimichurri sauce, or vegetable stir-fries with a variety of colorful veggies and flavorful sauces. By showcasing vegetables in delicious and satisfying meals, clients are more likely to enjoy them and incorporate them into their diets on a regular basis.
Texture tends to be one of the biggest issues people have with vegegatables so I encourage them to add blended vegetables into their foods. Like smoothies, you can mask vegetables texture (and taste) when they are mixed with proteins, starches, and healthy fats. It works for both kids and adults.
With my clients I've found encouraging them to actually learn how to cook really helped. I've found the vast majority of people just don't know how to cook and if you can't cook its not only difficult to incorporate vegetables into your diet but when you do it tends to be bland or boring, vegetables can actually be really tasty if you learn how to cook them properly, for me I like roastign them with some salt, pepper and olive oil but there's also a lot of dishes you can incorporate veggies into that rival meat dishes.