Month 1: 1 Pound of Vegetables
Goal: Increase your daily intake of vegetables to 1 pound per day.
Strategies:
- Replace pasta with spiralized vegetables like zucchini, carrots, daikon radish, sweet potatoes, and Kohlrabi.
- Replace chips with crispy raw vegetables.
- Replace lunch sandwiches with soups and/or salads
- Increase vegetables in dinner. Instead of just using onions and mushrooms, experiment with ingredients like bok choy, spinach, kale, broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower, peas, etc..
- Replace rice and potatoes with cauliflower versions. (i.e. riced cauliflower, mashed cauliflower)
- Keep cut vegetables in your refrigerator at all times. If it’s quick and easy, you’re more likely to choose it.
- Replace snacks like potato chips with celery & peanut butter or cucumber & tzatziki.
- Make creamy soups by using blended cooked vegetables instead of a roux and cream.
- Drink green smoothies.
Equipment:
- Kitchen Gadgets that will assist your transition.
- Spiralizer
- High-powered blender like Vitamix, Ninja, Oster Versa, or Nutribullet
- Mandolin slicer
- Immersion blender
Suggestions for adding more vegetables to every meal
Day 1
Breakfast:
- Add a Green Giant Smoothie to your normal breakfast routine.
- Adds 5 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Snack:
- Add Celery with Peanut Butter as a snack before lunch.
- Adds 2 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Lunch:
- Add a cup of Chili to your normal lunch.’
- Adds 4 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Snack:
- Add a ½ cup of Loaded Guacamole with bell pepper slices.
- Adds 6 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Dinner:
- Add a side of Sautéed Green Beans to your normal dinner.
- This adds 10 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Day 2
Breakfast:
- Add a Southwestern Omelet to your normal breakfast routine.
- Adds 6 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Snack:
- Add Tzatziki with cut vegetables as a snack before lunch.
- Adds 8 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Lunch:
- Add a cup of Tomato Soup to your normal lunch.
- Adds 12 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Snack:
- Add a ½ cup of Black Bean Salad as a snack before dinner.
- Adds 4 ounces of vegetables per serving.
Dinner:
- Add a side of Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms to your normal dinner.
- Adds 10 ounces of vegetables per serving.