For decades, nutrition experts have reminded us time and again that a balanced diet, filled with a variety of foods eaten in reasonable portions throughout the day, is the key to living a long, healthy life.
We generally have no problem keeping our plates full of grains, meats and dairy.
Eating enough fruits and vegetables, though—two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables daily—is much more challenging. Especially if you don’t like the taste or texture of fresh, whole fruits and veggies.
Here are a few tips for incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet, no matter how reluctant you might feel about changing your eating habits.
Fire Up The Grill
Eating whole fruits and vegetables doesn’t mean you have to eat them raw.
Unless it involves boiling them directly in water, there isn’t a significant enough amount of nutrient loss when you cook, bake or grill fresh vegetables and fruits to decrease the value. You can still reap health benefits from eating them, especially when you toss them on the grill for some amazing flavor.
Explore New Recipes
When we fall into a dietary routine, it’s not always easy to step out of our culinary comfort zones in order to add more servings of a specific food group to the repertoire.
There are thousands of recipes out there that include fruits or vegetables as one of many different ingredients in the same dish. Experiment with different ones until you find a few you know you’ll want to make and eat again later.
Get Creative
Sometimes we just don’t like how a certain food feels or tastes in our mouths when it’s by itself. If you want to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, give yourself the freedom to get a little creative in the kitchen.
You can take food items you’re familiar and comfortable with, such as waffles for breakfast or a simple sandwich for lunch, and add fruits or vegetables on top to mix and match flavors. Adding a new food to a food you already eat regularly is a great way to ease yourself into a healthier eating regimen.
Give these tips a try. Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables will help you add more fiber and essential vitamins to your diet, and because fruits and veggies are high in fiber and low in calories, you’ll feel fuller without eating as much as you normally might.
It’s like a dream come true.
Author bio: Meg Dowell is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. Follow her on Twitter @MegDowell to start learning to live a smarter, healthier life.
Top image courtesy of Ron/flickr.com.
Middle image courtesy of Meena Kadri/flickr.com.