How many times have you heard “eat your veggies?” We all know vegetables are good for us, so why is it so hard for us to include MORE veggies in our diets?
I remember being a desperate freshman in college trying to figure out a way to lose weight. I asked a more experienced personal trainer if she had any tips. She responded with “just eat more veggies!” I was so disappointed by her answer. I thought to myself, how boring! I don’t want to just eat broccoli all day. I was so far away from the real truth!
Ten years later when my clients ask me how to lose weight, my first question is “how many vegetables are you eating every day?”
Unless you actually begin to eat more vegetables, you really don’t know what you’re missing!
Let me give you some motivation on why vegetables are amazing for your entire body.
First, green veggies like broccoli, cucumbers and kale contain a high about of fiber. When we drink water with our meals, the fiber from the veggies expands in our stomachs making us feel full! This means we end up eating fewer calories, and have less room for dessert. The fiber in the veggies also helps to clean out our colon. There is a lot of bacteria in our colon (hopefully more good than bad) and the fiber helps to cleanse the colon naturally.
Fresh and cooked vegetables have different properties, but both have a ton of antioxidants! Antioxidants are beneficial for our cells, and can even make your skin look better. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which can cause damage in our cells. Antioxidants fight this process, and keep our cells healthy inside and out. This is the real magic behind veggies. They are so alive with nutrients and minerals, that it seems silly not to take advantage of all of the benefits. People even choose vegetables to fight cancer, as seen in The Gerson Therapy. Check out DeliverLean’s fresh organic cold-pressed juices as an easy way to get multiple servings of veggies into you daily diet.
No matter how you slice it, vegetables are extremely beneficial for your body. Choose a variety of veggies- don’t keep buying the same ones over and over. Also, choose different colors of veggies as they will have different beneficial nutritional properties. DeliverLean even offers vegan and vegetarian meal plans.
If you’re having some trouble finding ways to include veggies in your diet, here are some easy ideas you can add to your routine.
- Throw a handful of fresh spinach into any smoothie. The flavor is so mild, you won’t even taste it.
- Have a green juice or green smoothie every morning
- Add an OnJuice cold-pressed organic juice to your DeliverLean meal plan
- Instead of rice, make “cauliflower rice” with chopped cauliflower
- Prep carrots, celery, and cucumbers in the fridge for a quick and easy snack
- Prepare cooked vegetables ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for meals
Liza M. Scott MS, RD, CISSN
Registered Dietitian
Personal Trainer
