In nearly every healthy-living article you read these days, the No. 1 piece of advice is: Eat more vegetables. Unfortunately, Americans aren’t getting the message.
Last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that only 26 percent of American adults eat their veggies three or more times a day.
And, despite all the constant nagging, people are ordering salads as main courses at restaurants only 5 percent of the time – half as many as in 1989. Typically, adults should eat two cups of fruit and two-and-a-half cups of vegetables every day.
Why? Vegetables are excellent sources of fiber, which keeps digestive tracts functioning well and also has been shown to prevent heart disease and diabetes. Vegetables also contain significant amounts of other healthful nutrients including folate, potassium, and vitamin A and C.
But the fact is: We just don’t want to eat them. It’s easier to grab a bag of potato chips than it is to slice up a carrot, and loading up on pasta and rolls seems more satisfying than a plateful of boiled Brussels sprouts.
However, you can sneak more vegetables into your diet – in pleasant, easy, tasty ways. Here are seven ideas:
1. Pile on your pizza
When ordering pizza, request extra green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and whatever other veggies you choose. You won’t really notice the difference in taste, but your body will thank you for the extra vitamin A in the green pepper, the cancer-preventing properties of onions, and potassium in the mushrooms. If you want to make your next pizza even more healthful, ask for less cheese. Want to get kids to eat more vegetables? Have them lend a hand in making a homemade pizza. They’ll be proud to gobble up their hard work.
