If you don’t have your health, then you don’t have anything at all. Our diet has fallen into a rut with excess fats and carbs on our plates for every meal. Let’s break out of that cycle and start adding more vegetables to our diet every day. The natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals that you get from vegetables is far more valuable to your body than those empty carb cravings. Here’s a few ways to start to love veggies.

1. Green Smoothies: Your morning isn’t complete without a cup of coffee and breakfast. Instead of a carb-loaded bagel, a green smoothie is a delicious and easy way to quickly boost your veggie intake. There are several different types of recipes to make a green smoothie. You can use kale, spinach, avocado, and add in other fruits and veggies to make it tasty. Pop it in a tumbler and you’re out the door. Here are some great green smoothie recipes to get you started.
2. Mashed Cauliflower: It may sound strange, but switching out cauliflower for carbs is the latest health trend. This white vegetable is almost tasteless which makes it perfect for spicing up. You can add whatever flavors to it that you want, and it’ll go with any dish. You can boil it and blend it up to replace mashed potatoes (which aren’t vegetables, sorry folks!) so you can get extra fiber and vitamins. Want some extra cauliflower recipe inspiration? Here are some great ways to incorporate more cauliflower to your diet.
3. Colorful Frittata: Yay! Eggs! We love eggs. One of the best ways to add flavor and color to your morning plate is by adding a helping of veggies. Toss in some tomatoes, bell peppers, and spinach for some excellent texture and added vitamins. You’ll look like a chef with your beautifully colored plate of red, yellow, green vegetables perfectly paired with your eggs. Don’t forget the bacon!
4. Spaghetti Squash: Pasta one of the most difficult things to give up as you start cleaning your diet. You don’t have to forego the classic spaghetti night as you cut out carbs and gluten. Trade your pasta in for spaghetti squash. It’s a similar texture to angel hair noodles, but with all of the good things for you. Cut your spaghetti squash in half, and season it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and whatever other spices you’d like. Then bake it for 30 minutes or until it’s soft. Then take a fork and pull the delicious squash spaghetti out onto your plate. One half squash will be plenty for one person. Top it with your browned meat, red sauce, and a touch of basil to up the ante on taste.
5. Crunchy Snacks: It’s mid-day and the snack cravings have hit. You want that salty crunch to satisfy your growling stomach. You don’t need any chips; instead, try having carrot sticks with a scoop of hummus. It has that salty savory flavor and the crunch that you love without the saturated fats and empty calories. If you aren’t a carrot fan, then try things like celery, bell pepper strips, or snap peas. Chips won’t tempt you anymore during the day.

As you add more vegetables to your diet, it’s important that you still get enough calories so you don’t break down and binge on all the bad things. We still need calories, but we want them to come from good places. Eat plenty of “starchy” vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and other root vegetables. Also, pair these with good fats like avocados and nuts to keep you feeling full all day. You’ll love your bright and colorful plate of veggies, and you’ll feel like a million bucks!