There are lots of benefits to vegetables and fruits. Not only are they packed with lots of nutrients as well as fiber. But, their calorie and fat content make them great natural weight loss foods. Plus, they can add color and texture to your meals. Obviously if you’re looking for a vegan or vegetarian diet plan for weight loss, you’ll need to find lots of ways to diversity your meals. But, even if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, nutritionists recommend that the average adult eat more than 3 cups of fruits and vegetables daily. Plain and simple: Its just good for you. Eating more fruits and vegetables is a natural way to lose weight.
Here are 10 ways to add more fruits and vegetable to your meals:
- Get a grill! They’re not just great for meats folks! Corn on the cob, carrots, asparagus, peppers, potatoes are all tasty off the grill. Make kabobs! To keep them from tasting dry, you may want to brush them with oil. And fruits are delicious when cooked on the grill too! Try mangoes, pineapples, or peaches.
- Add more flavor to your casseroles. Tomatoes, onions, peppers, and beans such as pinto or white beans can really add to a dish.
- Having pasta? Add vegetables! Some of my favorite additions to traditional marinara is olives, peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, and red bean. Vegetables are bulky and low calorie. Which is great if you’re trying to cut down on the high calories in pasta.
- No more boring salads! Get creative. Throw in some sweet peas, mandarin oranges, watercress, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, and carrots.
- When dining out, bypass the super-high calorie dessert menu and have sliced fruit from the salad bar.
- Quick and easy veggies! Stir fry your veggies. Broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas, and carrots make great sides.
- Make sandwiches better and better for you. Whether its between 2 pieces of whole wheat bread or tucked inside a wrap, try adding avocado, spinach, and sliced tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Baking? Add blueberries, pears, peaches, bananas, or apples to your favorite muffins, scones, or breads
- Smoothies can be a treat that is nutritious and filling! Blend together 100{c66b10e9cbb0dd4ae322bbe8793aef26e887819d9224ac46799d38bddff29d80} fruit juice and strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or raspberries. To make it creamier, add some low fat milk or yogurt and your bones will thank you too! Put some color in your omelets!
- Add veggies to your eggs in the morning. I like spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Onions are good too. Simply chop and saute. Then add them to your eggs while they cook.
