During the holiday season, there are so many calories consumed from meats, heavy gravies, and tons of sweets, not to mention those tasty beverages.  This is why I’m so determined to convince you to make sure you’ve got vegetables on your plate and in your life.

Here are 5 reasons why you need more vegetables in your life:

  1. Vegetables are one of obesity’s main enemies. They’re so low in calories and high in fiber that it’s really difficult to overeat them and gain weight..
  2. The higher fiber content benefits our detoxification system, so a diet high in vegetables keeps your pipes working spot-on.
  3. Beauty starts on the inside- and a study published in The Journal of Public Health showed that carotenoids, a type of nutrient that’s found in red, yellow and orange vegetables, create the same natural “glow” in our skin that we try to get using cosmetic products.
  4. Powerful antioxidants protect your skin from harmful UV rays, inflammation, and premature aging.
  5. Fresh vegetables are full of live enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that will protect your body against chronic diseases while at the same time provide you with energy!

Now, I suppose you’ll argue that you don’t have time to shop for fresh produce, aren’t creative enough when it comes to preparing them, and so on.  Well with my list of 8 ways to add more vegetables into your life, there is absolutely NO excuse!

8 ways to add more vegetables into your life:

  1. Add veggies like spinach, onions, mushrooms, kale, tomatoes and spinach to your eggs for breakfast.
  2. Swap out your fries for a salad while dining out.
  3. Create sweet treats with sweet root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and beets instead of eating candy or sweet desserts.
  4. Dip veggies like celery, carrots, and broccoli into healthy fats like hummus or guacamole to make them tastier.
  5. Commit to cooking a new vegetable each month.  Broaden your taste buds’ horizons by challenging them to try a new veggie.  See how you can use them in different recipes.
  6. Save time by buying pre-cut vegetables and frozen veggies.  You might be cutting corners but this is one time you don’t have to feel bad about it.  Frozen veggies are always great to have on hand, so there’s no excuses.
  7. Practice Meatless Mondays – Avoid eating any meat on Mondays. Instead, eat plenty of veggies to fill you up.
  8. Plan ahead.  Set aside an hour each week to cut up carrots, cucumbers, onions, peppers, zucchini, sweet potatoes and any other of your favorite vegetables and package them individually for use as snacks and sides to your meals for the week.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my post.  Give this a try and let me know how you feel after a few weeks of adding more veggies into you life. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to let me know by adding a comment below.  I’d love to hear from you.  If you have a question for me, post it below, too.  And as always, you can find me over on Facebook. Thank you for sharing this post with your friends.