It depends. You might have heard that you should eat a minimum of around 250 grams of vegetables, but the amount of vegetables you need depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and level of physical activity. For women, the amount can also depend on whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Either way, I recommend eating plenty of veggies and the-250-gram-rule is an easy-to-remember starting point!
Furthermore, don’t stick to your usual vegetables every week. Get creative – make it a sport to pick a new vegetable out of the store every week. Maybe you don’t know how to prepare them yet, but Google knows for sure. Roast them, cook them, saute them! Ever tried beet greens? Collard greens? Topped your salad with microgreens? Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate more than 800 varieties of plant foods! Today, in the US, fifteen crops make up to 90% of the food intake and the top 3 vegetables include potatoes (french fries), tomatoes (ketchup), and onions. Not exactly powerhouses except for the onions! Do better!;)
Like I wrote before – eat the rainbow! And if you have kids, include them in the experience! When you break down vegetables into color groups of red, orange, yellow, green, and purples you can make eating vegetables and fruits fun for kids! Even at a very young age, kids can easily grasp the concept of eating a rainbow. Within each color, there are disease-fighting compounds that fight to keep them (and you) strong and healthy. By using a rainbow as a guide, you can ensure that children benefit from a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
How can you make sure to eat enough vegetables?
I often hear that people find it hard to eat enough vegetables but it doesn’t have to be that challenging. If you eat a nice filling salad for lunch, a vegetable snack in the morning or afternoon, and fill up half your plate with greens for dinner you’re doing great! What works well for me personally is to drink at least one juice or smoothie a day as well – it’s such an energy booster and it makes it so much easier to get enough vegetables in. Plus I find that smoothies and juices are delicious and like I mentioned – an energy booster! I don’t need to rely on coffee anymore.
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Healthy and delicious vegetable snacks
I know that you’re looking for a better alternative than a cookie, chocolate bar or chips as a snack, and don’t worry – I got you! Below you’ll find some inspiration to satisfy your mid-morning or afternoon craving. Nothing fancy or complicated – I prefer snacks to be easy, healthy, and quick to prepare and so do my clients.
A smoothie!
Probably my favorite snack for the afternoon that is done in five minutes. I have two all-time favorites: one is a green smoothie and one a red smoothie:
Green smoothie
Makes two servings
- 80 gr spinach
- ⅓ zucchini
- 1 frozen banana
- A handful of frozen berries
- 2 scoops of collagen powder (I like Vital Proteins)
- 300 ml water (or more to your liking)
Optional:
- 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds (optional)
- 5 gr spirulina (optional)
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth!
Red smoothie
Makes two servings
- 120 gr beets (I use pre-cooked, ready-to-go organic beets)
- ½ frozen banana
- A handful of frozen organic berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries
- 2 scoops of collagen powder (I like Vital Proteins)
- 300 ml water (or more to your liking)
Optional:
- 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds (optional)
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth!
Half (or whole) avocado
Who doesn’t love avocados? Slice one open, sprinkle some salt, pepper, and chili flakes on it and you got yourself a delicious satisfying snack. Eat it with a spoon or slice it up.
Have a little more time? Make some guacamole and eat it with some cucumber, bell peppers, or a rice cracker.
Ingredients for 2-3 servings:
- 2 ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2-3 tablespoons minced red onion or thinly sliced green onion
- 1 serrano or jalapeño chilis, minced, stems and seeds removed
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1/2 ripe tomato, chopped (optional)
Mash the avocado (not too mushy – leave some chunks), add the rest of the ingredients and serve! Easy does it.
Veggies with hummus or tahini!
Easy, healthy, and tasty. Chop some carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, or radishes and you’re good to go.
Celery with peanut butter or almond butter
Combining a veggie with a good source of fat will give you a nice satisfying snack. Cut 3 stalks of celery and fill each stick with some peanut butter or almond butter (about 3 teaspoons).
Pulp crackers!
If you haven’t tried the pulp crackers yet, you’re missing out! These are absolutely perfect to satisfy your salty craving.
