Meal Swaps for increased Veggie Intake

I'm always on the lookout for ways to sneak more vegetables and fruits into my diet. Yep, just like a kiddo, I sometimes have to trick myself. And for me, the easiest meal to do so, is lunch. 

I'm a big breakfast girl and dinner is something I look forward to all day (is that normal? I digress.) So lunch is my main girl, when it comes to sneaking in a boatload of nutrition. Not that I don't try to have fruits and/or veggies at all my meals, just that Lunch is the biggest boost. For you, dinner or breakfast may be the easiest. You have to test it out on yourself to find out. 

So how do I do it? I have three easy go-to's when I'm ready for lunch:

1. Salads (of course)

2. Soups (homemade, veggie heavy soups)

3. Smoothies (these make a great lunch, especially when you're busy/on the go)

If you know you're going to have one of these three for every lunch, it makes decision making so much easier:

A. You aren't restricted to one option. You have choices still. (I hate feeling like all I can eat is salad! But sometimes, I do enjoy choosing a salad.... the freedom makes a difference, I promise). 

B. If you are in a less than ideal situation (let's say you're at a work lunch or your team is ordering take out) you know exactly what you have to choose from, so you don't have to sweat the whole menu.

C. Each option comes with a wide range of flavors and styles. So again, you have plenty of freedom to grow your repertoire. 

D. Even if you aren't eating the MOST IDEAL option at each and every lunch (Let's say you have a ceasar salad with dressing, croutons, cheese, the whole shabang) you know you are still taking in a heap of veggies, no matter how you split it! And it will even out naturally, so long as you are brining in variety to your lunches (Ok, so if you have a giant caesar salad every day, without variety, that could become problematic.. but if you only do it here and there, it's not something worth worrying about). 

Below are some of my personal favorites from the smoothie, soup, and salad variety...Enjoy!

Dharma Kale Salad by Kimberly Snyder - This is great because it uses kale, which is a "tougher" lettuce, so it will keep in the fridge, after being dressed, for a few days. Add a bit of protein on top (ideas: cooked chicken, canned tuna, hard boiled egg or two, nuts/seeds, etc) and you've got a full meal!

Comforting Veggie Soup by Yours Truly - Loaded with Veggies and flavor. This simple recipe packs a healthy punch of flavor that will surprise you. Sometimes, if I'm extra hungry, I like to slice up an organic chicken sausage, heat it in the microwave for a minute, and toss it into my soup. However, this veggie soup is hearty enough to stand alone.

"Perfect" Pineapple Smoothie by Yours Truly - If you haven't had a smoothie with pineapple before, you're missing out! Give this one a go, it can convince even the smoothie-non-believers (like my Dad, who admitted that this one is delicious!)

Wishing you good great Health,

xx Lauren