Sneak More Fruits and Veggies into Your Diet

Only 13 percent of people in the United States are eating enough fruit in their daily diets, and only nine percent are eating enough vegetables. 

Consider these ideas for giving popular dishes a nutrient-boosting makeover!

Pancakes:

The next time you are whipping up flapjack batter, consider stirring in grated carrot. When paired with spices like cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup, it will taste like a stack of carrot cake.

Oatmeal:

Pureed pumpkin or even butternut squash can add natural sweetness to a pot of steamy oats and make it even creamier.

Yogurt:

Forget the added sugars in flavored varieties. Add healthier sweetness to yogurt with ready-to-go chia fruit jam. Blend together 2 cups berries or cherries with 3 tablespoons chia seeds; place in a bowl and set aside for 2 hours to thicken. Stir jam into bowls of plain yogurt.

Sandwiches:

Swap out the mayo for smashed avocado and not only will you save on calories, but you will also increase the nutritional density of your sub.

Salads:

Both veggie and grain-based salads can benefit from the sweetness that berries, sliced apples, and orange segments can lend them. Or stir up a berry-infused vinaigrette.

Pasta:

Embrace the culinary trend of swapping out starchy pasta for noodles made from vegetables. An inexpensive spiralizer can transform everything from sweet potato to zucchini to butternut squash into low-calorie, nutrient-packed veggie noodles ready to welcome all sorts of traditional pasta toppings.

Smoothies:

Not just for fruits, smoothies also offer a perfect opportunity to drink some vegetables. When paired with ingredients such as frozen berries, tangy yogurt, and creamy nut butters, leafy greens like spinach and baby kale can be blitzed into a smoothie without it tasting like a salad.

Chocolate baked goods:

To make items like brownies and chocolate cake less of a guilty pleasure, incorporate beets, sweet potatoes, or even avocado puree. They’ll add fudgy consistency and let you cut back on the amount of fat and sugar called for in the recipe.