You know you should be eating more vegetables, the question isn’t why but how. Inside this post, I share the guaranteed way to eat more vegetables.
Who doesn’t struggle to eat more veggies? If we could and enjoy the process, would it be the answer to our health struggles? There’s very good potential, that’s why we must attempt. So, I’ve put together a no-fail approach to eat more veggies.
There are all kinds of diets on the market. Eat this and not that, and while they vary in what is allowed and what isn’t, I think 99% of us wouldn’t argue that we need to be eating more veggies.
The question isn’t if we should, but how? How can I eat more vegetables and enjoy it? This is the age-old question and one that I found a solution for. Batch them.
I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of good ‘intentions’ when it comes to eating more veggies. I plan for them, add vegetables to my grocery list, and even buy it at the grocery store. The problem isn’t getting them home; it’s making them edible.
That’s why I’ve committed to stop throwing away my veggies, untouched and turning brown and challenged myself to prep them when I buy them. I know you hear it all of the time, just cook them and store them – it makes so much sense.
It’s not that we need more knowledge, but we need the behavior change behind the knowledge that is going to get us some results.
So it’s time to let the rubber meet the road and take action. So I’m challenging you to a weekly veggie batch cooking session – which is the guaranteed way to eat more vegetables.
batch cooking
You know I have a strong love for batch cooking. It is the only system that has ever worked to keep me healthy. The counting, measuring, and restricting I just can’t get behind. But what I can is saving time, money, and energy in the kitchen all while making healthy food convenient.
Insert the batch cooking system.
Batch cooking happens to be my simple solution to meal prep. When you don’t have time to cook full meals or even when I do have time and don’t have the desire {because it’s SO MUCH WORK}, you can still make this system work by batching simple ingredients.
Like cooking rice, which can be used in a hundred or possibly a thousand different recipes, instead of making the full rice casserole, just cook the rice. It may not seem like it will help, but it will.
the system
The batch cooking system, not to give you a spoiler alert, but it’s a simple system of cooking, one protein, one grain, one veggie, one salad, and one dressing a week. As I type that, it also sounds like a lot.
So if that feels too much, or you don’t have time, cook just the veggies.
veggie batch cooking challenge
Which brings me to the challenge, two veggies batch cooked every weekend.
I know you because you’re just like me, you won’t eat what isn’t prepared ahead of time. Or at least the odds aren’t in your favor. What could be more simple or convenient than having cooked or at least prepped veggies on hand for a quick addition to a meal or a meal in itself?
All you need to do is pick two or three veggies and decide how you will cook them.
I find it best to think about what you’ll already be eating, what meals you’ll be cooking or what other food you bought for the week, and make the veggies pair with those foods. That doesn’t mean it has to be the ‘perfect’ combination because there is no perfect. Play around with it and mix it up.
You’ll find rotations you love.
the rules
- Pick 2-3 vegetables you love or want to add to your diet.
- Prep them: chop them, slice them, bake them, or saute them.
- Store in the refrigerator to be used all week long.
pick your combo
Get started by picking your veggies and decide how you’ll roast them. My preference is roasted or raw. Those are my go-to methods for vegetables, but you could grill, saute, slow cook, or bake. The choice is really up to you.
The best way to determine how you’ll cook them is to know what you like. If you prefer more cooked veggies, try roasting a pan. You can always mix in raw. Or if you want the sauteed route, add them to the pan the day of eating. Having cooked veggies, you can reheat cuts 90% of the cooking time off while stilling giving you the flavor sauteed.
If you want to increase your vegetable intake – learn how to eat 10+ servings of vegetables a day here.
fan favorite vegetable recipes
Check out my favorite vegetable recipes here:
- 10-Minute Spinach Caesar Pasta Salad
- Sriracha Fried Brussels Sprouts
- Caramelized Sage Roasted Squash
- Tomato, Cucumber and Avocado Salad
I’d love to see what you’re mixing up! Make sure you tag your challenge photos using the hashtag #simplerootswellness. Don’t forget to tag me @alexaschirm on Instagram!
