Eat Your Veggies.

With March being National Nutrition Month, it's the perfect time to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. Not only are they healthy for us, but they're low in calories (think weight loss!), packed with vitamins & minerals and help protect us from a variety of diseases.  

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Here are some tips to help you add more veggies to your diet:

Jazz it up. Add vegetables to sandwiches, wraps, or even omelets. Think lettuce, onion, tomatoes, sprouts, spinach, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Mindful snacking. Instead of chips or pretzels grab a handful of carrots, cucumbers, broccoli or peppers to snack on when hunger strikes. Pair it with  hummus or low-fat dressing.

Soups and Stews. Add leftover vegetables to soups or stews so they don't go to waste.

Make it fun. Ants on a log are appropriate at any age! Try making homemade kale chips or sweet potato chips.

Sneaky Substitutes. Try mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Shredded carrots or zucchini are great additions to meatloaf, casseroles, breads or muffins.

Drink it down. Try blending green vegetables like spinach or kale in a smoothie for added nutritients without the calories.

For most people, the goal is 2-3 cups of vegetables per day. Hopefully with the tips above, reaching that goal just became easier!



 ? What creative ways have you incorporated more vegetables into your diet? ?



Juicing

Juicing is super trendy right now. It's touted as a way to get antioxidants to help fight off cancer, improve your skin and help you lose weight. While I'm not against it, I'm not 100% for it either.

Here's why...

Whole fruits and vegetables have fiber as well as vitamins and minerals in the skin, which you lose when juicing. Fiber is what helps fill you up and ward off hunger. That's why you may become hungry shortly after drinking that glass of juice.

If you're not seeing the results you expected it's because there's currently no scientific evidence that states juicing is healthier then eating the whole fruit or vegetable.

Other things to consider are the cost of all the produce you're juicing. It can definitely add up! If you purchase juice instead of making your own, be mindful of sugar that companies may add to help improve the taste. Those are calories you don't want or need!

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On the other hand, if you're someone who doesn't like to eat fruits and vegetables, juicing is a great way to add them to your diet. Plus, you might be willing to try fruits or vegetables that you normally wouldn't (kale perhaps?). But again, you shouldn't be relying on juicing alone.
 

If you can, try saving some of the pulp and incorporate it into baking or cooking. Think soups, muffins, rice, etc.

? Have you tried juicing? What's your favorite fruit/veg combo?  ?