Get More Vegetables Into Your Meals

不喜欢吃蔬菜? 你并不孤单. Only 10% of people in the U.S. eat the recommended amount, which is 4½ cups a day.

If you don't like one vegetable, that doesn't mean you won't like a different one. The more you try a vegetable, the more chance you have of liking it. 所以，继续努力.

Here are some creative ways to get more vegetables into your meals 和 snacks. 

分解. Vegetables that can be easily shredded, 比如西葫芦, 甜菜, 胡萝卜或防风草, can be added to whole-grain muffins, 煎饼, 汤, 炒菜, 意大利面酱和砂锅菜. These sneaky vegetables boost flavor, 质地和营养, often without anyone knowing they’re there. Use a box grater, h和 grater or food processor to shred vegetables. Or, for convenience, look for bags of pre-shredded produce in the grocery store.

交换. Mushrooms add a savory flavor 和 texture, especially to meats, along with added nutrients. Replace half the amount of ground beef or turkey for burgers, meatloaf 和 meatballs with cooked chopped mushrooms. Here’s how: First, finely chop the mushrooms. 下一个, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat 和 cook the mushrooms for 3 minutes, 或者直到变软. Once they have cooled, gently mix them with your ground meat. 继续你的食谱.

泥. Cook 和 puree orange vegetables, 比如冬南瓜, sweet potatoes 和 carrots to add to cheesy dishes, 比如通心粉和奶酪, 烤宽面条, 或者烤玉米卷饼. Simply replace half of the cheese with the pureed vegetables to help reduce some of the saturated fat 和 sodium found in your meal. 就这么简单. 使光滑, 美味而又充实的汤, process the vegetables with some fat-free, low-sodium broth in a food processor or a blender until smooth.

混合. You can load lots of fruit 和 vegetables into delicious 和 refreshing smoothies. Start with adding frozen fruit, 比如香蕉片, 浆果, cubed melon 和 chopped mango into a food processor or blender. 下一个, add some vegetables, such as spinach, kale, 和 cooked carrot rounds or chopped squash. 然后, add a few splashes of fat-free/low-fat milk, a few dollops of plain yogurt 和/or a splash of juice or water. Put in some freshly grated gingerroot or ground ginger, ground cinnamon 和 ice cubes. 加工至光滑. Experiment with different fruits 和 vegetables to make many delicious combinations.