Get Your Veggie Fix

How many serves of veggetables do you eat every day?  The average Aussie only eats about 2.7 serves, with 96% of us falling short of the five a day recommendation (1). It might seem like a crazy idea, but why not go above and beyond and aim even higher? There’s growing opinion and research to suggest that while five serves is good, eight to ten is even better (2). Whether you’re aiming for five or ten, here are six great ways to get your veggie fix.

Vegetables in all their glory - vegetable and chicken soup, topped with
extra spinach and coriander

 1. Smoothies
This is a popular option, and that’s because it works so well! Throwing some vegetables into your smoothie is a great way to increase your intake. Next time you’re making your morning smoothie try adding in a handful of leafy greens, cucumber, avocado, zucchini, or even some leftover roast pumpkin or sweet potato.

2. Add a bunch of leafy greens on top of whatever you’re eating
Seriously, leafy greens go with just about any meal...other than dessert perhaps. Add some lettuce to your sandwich, some roquette to your salad, some spinach on your soup, some sprouts on your stir fry…the list goes on! If you’re not in the mood for leafy greens, add a serve of whatever veggies you like, maybe some asparagus in your omlette or some mushrooms in your pasta sauce.

3. Prep veggies and keep them in the fridge for when you’re feeling snacky
Things like roast eggplant, steamed greens, or chopped up capsicum or celery sticks make the perfect snack. One of my favourites is to mix a bit of roast pumpkin with milk, cinnamon and nutmeg to make a quick and easy ‘pumpkin pie pudding’ type snack.

4. Add grated vegetables into your baking
Trust me, this works! Adding vegetables like zucchini, beetroot, carrot, sweet potato or pumpkin into baked goods such as muffins, bread or pancakes works a treat. It’ll depend on what you’re baking, but they can add a delicious earthy / sweet taste or moisture to the dish. Other ideas include blending some spinach into whatever milk you’re using to bake with, or even adding avocado!

5. Embrace frozen veg
There’s a common misconception that frozen veggies are low in nutrients, but they’re often picked during their peak and are frozen immediately, locking in their nutrients. Plus they’re incredibly convenient! Whatever meal you’re cooking up, be it a pasta sauce, casserole or stew, throw a couple of handfuls of frozen veggies in.

6.  Make them the star
I've saved the best tip for last. Vegetables are amazing, so why not honour them in all their glory by making them the star of the dish? Go crazy with veggies – make mushroom soup, passata, babaganoush, a leafy salad, broccoli stir fry, stuffed roasted capsicums, roast cauliflower, guacamole, etc – the options with vegetables are limitless!

At the end of the day just have fun with it. Experiment with new types of veggies and new cooking methods and enjoy!

Footnotes
(1)http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/12E8766EBAB492B0CA257FAF001A3CFD/$File/43640do002_20112012.pdf
(2) https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyw319/3039477/Fruit-and-vegetable-intake-and-the-risk-o