We all know that eating more plants is rule number one for “eating better.” But what if you are a veggie-phobe? Eating four servings of vegetables a day can be crazy challenging if you’re a grab-and-go eater, a poor planner, or deathly afraid of all things green.  The solution- Hide the Veggies! Even when you know you need to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, it’s easy to look at the clock at dinner time and realize not one bite of nature’s bounty has passed your lips all day.  So how do you get more vegetables into your daily intake?

I recommend hiding those Veggies. Sneak those suckers into every meal and snack. If you just seep tucking a little something green in every meal you’ll find that you’ve eaten your quota without even thinking about it. Truly, vegetables are a gift from the gods when it comes to weight loss. They bulk up your meals and add minimal calories. They add flavor, texture, and fiber and you know what that means. Not only do they fill you up, but they also help you empty out—both of which are essential to supercharging your healthy eating plan into helping you lose weight.

But enough about why you should eat more veggies—how do you sneak veggies into every meal?

Hiding Veggies in Breakfast

1. Crustless veggie quiches are a portable veggie-packed protein.
2. Make a sweet potato veggie hash and top it with a poached egg.
3. Egg white, veggie frittatas are pretty and fiercely healthy.
4. Grate zucchini into your oatmeal as you cook it, seriously, you won’t even notice it.
5. Try pumpkin pancakes!
6. Better yet, grab whatever veggies are in your fridge and add them to scrambled eggs. Easy peasy!

Hiding Veggies in Lunch

1. Bulk up your soup with spinach, broccoli, zucchini, or green beans.
2. Load that pita pocket with cucumbers, tomatoes, and mixed greens.
3. Quesadillas are a great place to tuck peppers, onions, spinach, and kale.
4. Mac and Cheese LOVES cauliflower and broccoli.
5. Ditch the bread and make lettuce wraps instead!

Hiding Veggies in Snacks

1. Smoothies! Grated carrots and leafy greens co-exist perfectly with fruity friends.
2. Cucumber slices and carrot chips sub beautifully for crackers and chips. Dip away!
3. Zucchini, carrots, and avocados make tasty veggie “fries.”

Hiding Veggies in Dinner

1. Pump Up your chili with chunks of sweet potato, carrots, or butternut squash.
2. Pack your pasta sauce with mushrooms, onions, spinach, and zucchini.
3. Pile your pizza with veggies, it’s the perfect vehicle for greens, mushrooms, and all things veggie!
4. Add pureed pumpkin or cauliflower to anything creamy.
5. Grate up zucchini or summer squash and hide it in any casserole for undetectable roughage.
6. Zoodles and Voodles! Use a spiralizer on zucchini or squash, or try baked spaghetti squash.

You Can Even hide Veggies in Desserts

1. Chocolate hides everything!
2. Avocados hideout well in puddings.
3. Cookie dough can handle a carrot or sweet potato puree

Basically, chop, mince, and mash your veggies and add them to everything! Most vegetables are chameleon-like and will take on the dominant flavors around them. So cook them up in broths and
sauces and use them to bulk up the size of your meals.

Could you use a little more help incorporating more veggies in your meals- Join us for tips and tricks of healthy eating in The Wellness Cafe!