Vegetables.
Love them or hate them, we all know we need more of them.
But here’s the deal I have with vegetables; If we dread them, avoid them or wish we were eating something else, then we might as well eat something else. The reality is if we can’t find a way to eat more vegetables and actually enjoy them {<- That’s the winning ticket} then we might keep eating them.
I mean how often do you find yourself sticking with something when you don’t necessarily love it?
Think running, you either love it or hate it. If you hate it you most likely will never do it. Or if you do try it out, it won’t stick.
Okay, okay so the point is, I have this strong passion for helping you find ways to eat vegetables and love it.
Including salads… which can often seem so drab.
So here are my quick tips to finding ways to love vegetables.
{Psst… don’t forget to also check out my post on How To Easily Eat 10 Servings of Vegetables a Day + 58 Healthy Vegetable Recipes.}
- Buy what is in season. It seems like a no-brainer but it is most common for us to repeatedly eat the same vegetables over and over. Remember satiety comes from change and what the change in season is. In the summer we are more likely to crave cold salads for satiety where the cooler months we definitely need something warm and hearty. Fortunately, seasonal produce tends to represent the season well. So stick with what is in season!
- Use layers. Just like a good wardrobe, a good meal is found in layers. This means having different textures, flavors, food groups and temperatures all on the plate at the same time. Layer and layer and layer and ending with a good sauce or dressing is really the recipe for success.
- Don’t forget a grain. I know, we live in this anti-carb society but the fall and winter months our bodies actually crave more carbohydrates for satiety reasons. I’m not telling you to binge on carbs but rather not forget the power of a bit of quinoa, lentils or wild rice can have on a salad.
- Change the cooking method. Pick out a handful of vegetables, grains and protein sources and vary the cooking method. Add some steamed, roasted and slow cooked sources to each salad to provide different flavors and textures.
- Prep ahead! In the midst of hunger I can assure you a salad is probably going to be the last thing on your mind. Especially when you have to drive by what seems like 20 fast food restaurants just to get home at the end of the busy day. Don’t wait to think, buy and prep a salad until you are starving, prep them ahead! Yes, the best salads are the ones that can be prepped in advance. Or at least the components of the recipe. I can assure you, if you have at least a handful of the ingredients prepped ahead, it will be easier to stick to the plan.
Speaking of planning….
If you’re in need of a great source for not only planning your life (day organizer, and life planner) but also don’t want to forget the power of your own health on how much you get done, including MEAL PLANNING check out this new resource we’ve created for you!
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The only way I eat healthy while being the primary care taker of three young girls, home keeper, business owner, babysitter and wife is this weekly planner! And it was created with a lot of love, thought, knowledge and experience so you too can find the power in planning.
Ironically, this is all coming from what one would consider the least organized person ever. But that’s why it was created, because even the unorganized need organization. We just need the space to do it with our strengths instead of the normal rigid style we are used to seeing.
You can snag a free weekly planner page that has the meal planner included HERE!
In the meantime, here are those amazing fall salad recipes I’ve been promising:
Herby Barley Salad With Butter-Basted Mushrooms
Peach and Lentil Salad with Warm Pork Tenderloin
Korean BBQ Bowls with Garlic Scented Rice
Grilled Romaine Salad with Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp
Grilled Veggie and Steak Salad with Herbed Butter Sauce
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Thanksgiving Salad with Wild Rice and Lemon Dressing
Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Pesto Vinaigrette
Grain Bowls with Maple Chipotle Brussels Sprouts
Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodle Salad with Roasted Corn
Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Kale Salad with Apple & Candied Pecans