The major research article that was published just this past April showed evidence that eating 7 servings of fruits and vegetables reduced mortality from heart disease and cancer by 42%. The hardest part about eating more vegetables is they are not easy to eat on-the-go. The following are ways that executives have found work best for them to achieve higher vegetable consumption:
Fresh Vegetable Smoothie
Make your own at home in a blender or drop by a smoothie store. It’s an easy way to add 3-7 servings of vegetables to your day. Just avoid using juice and replace it with yogurt or a milk-base such as skim or almond milk.
Microwaveable pre-chopped vegetables
These are becoming common at grocery stores. Keep a couple of bags in the refrigerator at work and you can steam the vegetables in the bag at lunchtime.
Sunday snack prep
Spend a couple hours on Sunday to make an enormous amount of chopped vegetables and/or salads that you can munch on all week.
If the kids eat it, then I eat it and vice versa
This is a family affair. What your significant other and/or kids are eating will brush off on you and you on them. To make any changes, it’s important that everyone is, more or less, on board.
Cut the bread, double the vegetables
Let’s be fair, bread and other refined grains can be a part of a healthy diet. The average (you may not be in this category) American eats more refined grains than is needed. Vegetables are also carbohydrates! You are simply replacing a carbohydrate with a carbohydrate, but vegetables are nutrient-dense and significantly lower in calories. For example, at lunch, try eating an open-faced sandwich and double the vegetables on the side.
By Kyla Bauer, Exercise Physiologist, PN1 Coach
By Brian Holm, published on 11 January 2013
