Only about 25% of adults get enough vegetables in a day – if you don’t include French fries, that is.
Maybe it’s the fast food mentality that’s so prevalent, maybe it’s laziness, maybe it’s the frenetic pace we live our lives, or preoccupation with everything and everyone else except our own selves. I don’t know, but I do know that I can relate. I had to intentionally put myself on the top of my self care list several years ago. And eating much better – including five servings of vegetables daily, was a huge part of that. The good news? Improving my health and lowering inflammation in my body was the result of these efforts. So read on to learn how you can do this too!
The fact is that in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to rely on our bodies to be strong fighters of viruses by building and maintaining healthy immune systems that fight viruses — all viruses. What is the best way to do that naturally? Lower the level of inflammation in your body. And the ideal way to do that is by eating your vegetables. And the green ones are best. Sorry, but they just are! They are jam-packed with the nutrients, minerals, fiber content needed for people to thrive.
Everyone likes quick and easy food, but you can make it happen without resorting to a greasy burger and fries – I promise.
Here are five quick options to inspire you to eat healthier when you are very short on time:
1. Buy pre-washed salad greens and add chickpeas or your favorite beans, avocado, tomato, onion, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs for quick lunches.
2. Get baby carrots and pair them with individual serving size containers of hummus or guacamole for nutrient-dense snacks.
3. Pick up bags of microwaveable frozen vegetables and pair it with a protein for simple dinners. Fresh is always better, but frozen vegetables are better than no vegetables at all.
4. Cut up a bunch of vegetables – like cucumbers and celery – and pair with nut butter or cottage cheese for quick, filling snacks all week.
5. Prep a large tray of roasted vegetables on Sundays and pair with eggs at breakfast, greens at lunch, and your protein of choice at dinner.
Certainly, it’s best to use fresh, in season vegetables. But that’s not always reasonable. So simply buying some ready-to-eat vegetables and prepping fresh produce is so worth it.
Eating habits can be very challenging to change, believe me, I’ve been there, so I know this first hand. But when you shift your mindset and view eating as an incredible act of self-care, and critical to your own well being and graceful aging, it will help make the change easier. And eventually it becomes second-nature. Your meals will go from quick acts of fueling to enjoyable acts of love that change your life and improve your energy and focus.
I am passionate about this topic because as I’ve mentioned I have been in a place of poor health. But I turned things around with food primarily. Read more about my health journey here: https://bewellwithjanel.com/about/
I wish you wellness!
