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Many of us don’t eat enough veggies in our diets. We all know how crucial eating a well-balanced diet can be, but most of us struggle to get it right. We live busy lives and find ourselves on the go all day.
If you want to eat better but don’t think you have the time, there are some easy ways to implement healthy foods into your lifestyle. Let’s jump into the five veggies to include in your diet right now and some easy ways to do it!
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable. That means it contains sulforaphane, which studies show can reduce your chances of getting cancer. It also has vitamins C and K. When you include broccoli in your meals, you get magnesium, folate, and manganese. Broccoli is packed with nutrients and including it in your meal plans is a good idea.
If you think you don’t like broccoli, you might be cooking it wrong. Some people steam broccoli, toss it in butter and salt, and eat it that way. If you enjoy this, that is great. Many people don’t like it that way, and when you don’t like how something tastes, you are less likely to eat it. An easy way to prepare broccoli is to roast it in the oven. You can add a little sea salt and garlic for flavor. You can also pour some avocado oil over it and spread it on a pan. It cooks in the oven for about twenty or thirty minutes. You may be surprised at how much flavor it has when you add some seasonings to it. If you are trying to eat low carb, broccoli makes a great side dish to any meal. Cooking some nutritious meals can be quick and also taste amazing.
When you mention Brussels sprouts, you might get a few strange looks because some people are not fans of this vegetable. Once again, it could be the way it got cooked. If you have eaten Brussels sprouts without seasoning, it probably tasted bland.
You want this veggie in your diet because it has the same vitamins and minerals you get with broccoli. It has something called kaempferol. Kaempferol is a polyphenol antioxidant that lowers cell damage risk. Studies have shown that it reduces the risk of many diseases, including cancer. Research points to kaempferol’s ability to inhibit cancer cell growth and preserve normal cell viability.
If all that is enough reason to give Brussels sprouts a try, but you don’t think your palette can stand it, we have suggestions for you. You can pan fry Brussels sprouts in healthy fat and add some bacon pieces for a smoky flavor. Try some different spices and season your veggies to taste.
You can also roast them in the oven to bring out more flavor. When you get busy, it can seem harder to eat healthy foods. Since you want to maintain good health, planning helps you avoid the office vending machine! Find ways to sneak those veggies in any chance you get!
Some people on a keto or low carb diet have sworn off root vegetables, but these can get enjoyed in moderation. If you crave some carbs, sweet potato is a great option. Many people who have a sweet tooth find eating a serving of this veggie satiates them.
Sweet potatoes have higher antioxidant profiles than white potatoes have, and they have a lower glycemic index. That means less disruption to your blood sugar levels. If you want to get the glycemic index down more, you can boil them rather than bake them.
Sweet potatoes do contain a high amount of carbs, but they also have lots of vitamins and minerals in them. These vegetables are a great source of vitamin c and potassium. You can add some cinnamon to them or salt and garlic. They are versatile and don’t require much preparation. If you are concerned about the carb content, you can always offset that with lower-carb meals the rest of the day.
Onions offer all kinds of health benefits. Consuming onions can lower your risk of cancer and stroke. The organic sulfur they contain has a positive impact on bad cholesterol. They can also help break down blood clots in the body.
In recent months, you may have heard a lot about quercetin. Quercetin fights free radicals in the body, and it also lowers inflammation. Functional medicine doctors give their patients quercetin to help with allergies because it can be an effective antihistamine. It can also prevent infections because it has antibacterial properties. With many people concerned about respiratory issues, quercetin-rich foods can be of great benefit.
If raw onions don’t appeal to you, that is okay. You can cook them and reduce the odor or bitter taste. You can chop or slice onions and add them to many dishes for an extra nutrient boost. These veggies are also some of the most versatile you will find, so enjoy them as much as you want.
If you watch your daily calorie count, asparagus is an incredible addition to your diet. They have few calories but contain a lot of fiber, which makes you feel full. These nutritious vegetables also have folate, vitamin c, a, and k. Asparagus also helps stabilize blood sugar because they contain chromium, which helps transport glucose to cells. When you eat a cup of asparagus, you get about 400 milligrams of potassium, which makes it a powerful electrolyte source!
Asparagus has anti-aging properties that can prevent cognitive decline. Much of that is due to the folate in asparagus that works with vitamin B12 to enhance mental flexibility.
For people who have high blood pressure, asparagus can help lower the numbers. Since it is a natural diuretic, it helps the body get rid of excess salts and fluids. Many people who suffer from edema or other swelling issues need to remove the fluid from their bodies.
You can boil, roast, or pan-fry asparagus. It only takes a few minutes any way you cook it. You can add a little sea salt, garlic, and butter or olive oil to make it a delicious side dish with tons of nutrients. But hands down, one of our favorite ways to eat asparagus is to wrap 2 stalks in a slice of bacon and roast in the oven. (Go ahead - change the way you think about asparagus with that little bit of yummy.)
All our lives, our parents told us to eat our vegetables. It turns out they were right! Vegetables contain tons of vitamins and nutrients we need to live our healthiest lives. We cannot expect to eat junk all the time and perform well. It simply doesn’t work that way.
Mix it up and try some new ones. You don’t have to eat the same thing all the time. Try some fresh veggies in season. Those can be less expensive, and you may find some new dishes you like.
You are what you eat. That has never been truer than it is today. Make good choices now and give your body the fuel it needs to thrive. Your wellness depends on you, so add some diversity to your diet. There is no better time to make your health a priority, so have some fun with it and get those veggies in any way you can!
References :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3601579/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/vegetable-of-the-month-sweet-potatoes
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sweet-potato-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-onions#1
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324170#8-benefits
https://food.unl.edu/NEP/NEP%20Documents/Vegetable%20group.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22797986/
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable
https://www.thistle.co/learn/thistle-thoughts/health-benefits-of-20-common-vegetables
https://gilbertlab.com/neutraceuticals/quercetin/top-5-benefits/
