Most people agree that eating more vegetables is a good thing, but how can you make this happen?
Vegetables are a great source of various vitamins and minerals which are important to maintain health and illness-free, along with fibre which is important for gut health and satiety. And, of course, when prepared well can also be delicious.
In Australia, we recommend consuming 5 servings of vegetables per day.
1 serve looks like:
– 1 cup of raw vegetables OR
– 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables
Fresh, frozen, canned, and cooked vegetables all contribute to this goal of 5 servings per day. Additionally, don’t forget about the benefit of variety when it comes to vegetables.
BREAKFAST
While vegetables may not come to find when you think of breakfast foods, there are ways to sneak them in.
- Add spinach to a fruit smoothie
- Eggs with spinach, mushroom, and tomatoes
- Frittata with grated vegetables
- Baked beans on toast
- Leftover curry or stir fry from dinner (who says you can’t eat this for breakfast!)
LUNCH
Lunch should include just as many vegetables as dinner. Aim for 2 cupped handfuls at both lunch and dinner. If you are short on time, consider preparing your lunch the night before. Or even prepare a few lunches at the start of the week in case you get busy.
- Stir-fried Morning Glory
- Gao Lao Yentafo
- Fresh Spring Roll
DINNER
Dinner is usually the easiest meal to get a good dose of veggies in. So perhaps challenge yourself here and go for more variety! Consider buying a new/different vegetable each week that you don’t often eat and remember, most of your plate should be vegetables (not meat or rice).
- Stir-fried mixed veggies
- Namprik with Veggies
- Gangsom Cha-om
- Suki Yaki
SNACKS
Snacks are often the downfall of people’s diets. When I say snacks, you may think of biscuits and chocolate, but these don’t have to be your only snack choices! Some easy ways to increase your veg intake in snack form:
- Carrot, cucumber and capsicum sticks
- Celery sticks with peanut butter
- A spinach, cucumber, mango smoothie
OTHER TYPICAL THAI SNACK FOODS
- Grilled banana (with less sweet sauce to no sauce)
- Fresh Fruits
- Steamed Taro/ Steamed Pumpkin
- Green Beans in Syrup (less sugar)
- Roasted Peanuts
