Most of us are probably aware of the ‘5 a Day’ recommendation for fruits and vegetables set by the USDA (or, more recently, the ‘half your plate’ recommendation).

I don’t agree with most of the USDA daily nutritional guidelines, but I think ‘5 a Day’ recommendation is a good place to start. It is great to get more (especially vegetables), and I certainly think most of us have room to cut some grains and increase veggies. But when you are in a food rut, where to start? Here are some tips to help increase your veggie consumption:

1. Sneak ’em in – Some vegetables have a very mild flavor and are easily added to almost anything. When I am cooking a dish, very often my first question is, ‘how can I add more vegetables?’ Getting my family to eat vegetables is not usually a problem, but there can always be more, especially in certain popular dishes, like tacos. I have found that grating or dicing veggies into small bits helps add some nutrition and bulk with little-to-no flavor change. Cauliflower, zucchini, carrot, broccoli slaw (shredded carrots and broccoli from Trader Joe’s), celery, and mushrooms grated, shredded or chopped small are common additions to everything around here (think tacos, chili, eggs, etc.).

2. Replace a grain with a veggie – As someone who eats a nearly grain-free diet, this is one of my favorite tricks. There are some dishes that just need a little added bulk, or something to be served over. I have come to refer to cauliflower as the ‘tofu of vegetables’ (yes, I do realize tofu is made from a legume, which is like a vegetable) because of it’s ability to take on almost any flavor and it’s versatility in cooking. It makes for a great rice substitute, among many others. Zucchini or spaghetti squash are a great substitute for noodles. There are many options, once you start thinking about how you can replace a grain. Here is a recipe for Cauliflower Fried “Rice”.

3. Toss some in breakfast – Breakfast is a great place to get a veggie or two into your day. Whether you are making a frittata, scramble, quiche, omelette, egg muffins, or something else, toss some veggies in! Think about vegetables you wouldn’t normally consider for breakfast – my kids regularly request broccoli, kale, or sweet potatoes as part of their breakfast. And consider something non-traditional; eggs, bacon, or grains don’t have to be breakfast. What about some sauteed veggies? Quinoa ‘porridge’?

4. Drink ’em– Are you a smoothie fan? Add a handful of greens to your smoothies. Kale and spinach make great additions to your blend, and this is a great way to mask the flavor for those who are not a fan of greens.

5. Don’t buy snacks– Take a quick inventory of your pantry. What’s in there? Chips, crackers, granola bars? If you don’t buy them, they aren’t there to eat. If you replace these options with fresh veggies, dried veggie chips (kale!), fresh or dried fruit, you will soon find that you don’t miss them.

6. Cut sugar– Have you found that your veggies just taste bland and uninteresting? Here’s an interesting tip, cut sugar (and sugar replacements) from your diet for a while (about 30 days). In addition to the benefits you receive from not eating the sugar, you will find that you can now taste the natural sweetness of the foods you eat. Eating sugar (or substitutes) on a regular basis raises your body’s expectations for the sweetness of everything you eat, and you begin to be unable to taste the subtle, natural sweetness of the foods you eat.

7. Write it down– Unsure of just how many vegetables you are eating? Start keeping a food journal. Writing down what you eat is a great way to get a comprehensive look at your diet. Our brains tend to rationalize or gloss over certain things, but there is no denying what you have put on paper. Write down everything you eat for a week and then review how many vegetables you eat, and where you could add some in.

Keep following the blog, and I will be posting lots of recipes that follow the suggestions here. What are some ways that you added fruits and vegetables into your diet?