Whether you have committed to a New Year’s resolution or you are tired of feeling sluggish and fatigued, finding a way to motivate yourself toward healthy living and eating healthy can be difficult. Keeping on track with your gym schedule or your diet can be hard when you are going at it alone. Everything seems to be easier when you have someone in your corner working to keep you accountable, but also encouraging and applauding you for your efforts. While your friends or family members are potentially able to go to the gym with you or down to the park for a walk, you don’t always get company when it comes time to eat. This is where dieting hang-ups begin.
Finding Your Flavour
Vegetables can often be a dirty word at the dinner table, perhaps because of childhood scarring from being forced to eat all of your peas and carrots. In spite of the high levels of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, there is a common complaint that veggies are tasteless, texturally unpleasant, and difficult to cook. If you are committed to a weight loss plan or you are trying to get healthy, you are going to have to find the pleasant side of vegetables and focus on it. If you try these sneaky ways to improve your veggie intake, your taste buds and your waist will thank you in return.
Work With What You’ve Got
Rather than trying out a bunch of new veggie casseroles or side dishes, start by including vegetables into foods that you already love to eat. Rather than layering meat into your pasta sauce or your lasagna, use slices of zucchini to add flavour and fibre. Add some extra green, red, or yellow peppers into your cheese quesadilla for some extra crunch as well as a punch of tasty antioxidants. If you love eggs, take an extra minute to chop up some tomatoes, spinach leaves, and onions and make yourself an omelet. By filling up on good foods, you will be less likely to snack throughout the day.
Slurp ‘Em Down
Soups are a fantastic way to help slim down and give your body the nutrients it needs. Soups are also an easy place to hide vegetables. Tomatoes, garlic, onion, and celery are loaded with antioxidant properties, and they make very tasty and versatile soup bases. You can add either canned or frozen veggies to your creation, as both will cook down and blend with the flavours of your broth and seasonings. Add some whole-grain crackers to your meal, and you have a healthy, warm option for your diet.
Slide Them Into Salads
Salads are often a go-to for anyone who is pursuing a more healthy lifestyle. The green leafy salad bases are loaded with calcium, fibre, and a range of vitamins, but this isn’t the only way to increase your intake. Raw veggies can be tasty when you combine them all together in a crunchy salad. Use spinach, kale, or watercress as your salad base, then layer in green beans, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, chopped radishes, grated carrots, and chickpeas. Use a low-fat dressing, or something natural like a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar, as a way to improve the flavour, and top it with a sprinkle of low-fat cheese.
If you still aren’t sold on vegetables, you can improve your intake of needed nutrients through supplements like cocoa capsules, protein powders, and nutrient-specific pills. These can be a quick way to improve your intake without changing your shopping schedule, when you are running low in time, or have food allergies. However you decide to get healthy, you should be proud of your commitment and stick with it. You can improve your energy levels, appearance, and mood with the right diet and exercise plan.
*collaborative post