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Happy June, everyone! Can you believe we are coming upon the halfway mark of the year already!? Summertime is here, and many people have reached their fitness goals or started the pursuit of them. Because of this, it can seem easy to slack off on nutrition or struggle to build healthy nutrition habits. One of the best nutrition habits that one can grow in is taking in good vitamins and minerals for efficient bodily functioning. Yes, we have all heard a dozen or more times since childhood that we must eat our vegetables in order to get our daily nutrient needs. However, how many of us are actually eating ENOUGH vegetables to supply those daily needs?
An analysis from Harvard, as well as The American Heart Association, recommend 4-5 servings of vegetables per day. One serving is approximately 80 grams. Now, as beneficial as it can be to use a food scale all throughout the day, not everyone wants to do that. Therefore, it is wise to think of sure-fire ways to make sure we are getting 80 grams or close to it per day. Here, are three ways to help ensure our daily vegetable needs are being met.
1. Eat one vegetable-heavy meal per day
There are some tasty meals out there that rely heavily on vegetables as the main ingredients. From a variety of soups, veggie kebabs and salads to a sweet-tooth fulfilling smoothie, there are insane amounts of yummy options! Soups are also helpful with finding new vegetables that you enjoy. A big reason some don’t enjoy veggies is because they haven’t experienced a lot of tasty ones! Whether you are having morning breakfast or breakfast for dinner, an omelet is another popular go-to meal.
Tip: If having a salad everyday does not sound intriguing to you, then switching these meal choices out for one or multiple meals each week will help keep the excitement of eating veggies alive.
2. Substitute food products
Okay, so let’s say you’re not that into soups, salads or smoothies … well, I have good news for you. There is another way! Instead of restricting yourself from meals that you love, just change out certain food products for vegetables. I’ll give you three of my favorite examples! One, if you want pizza, try using a cauliflower pizza crust instead and double up on the veggie toppings. Two, if you want spaghetti, try using zucchini or squash noodles instead of wheat noodles. There are many types of vegetable noodle makers out there in many stores. Additionally, certain vegetables like mushrooms or spinach pair very well with being added to any type of sauces that you make or enjoy. And last but not least, if you want a nice juicy burger, make a veggie patty and season it just the way you like it!
Tip: If you have a blender, blend specific veggies into your mixes for a seamless and unnoticeable addition to homemade crusts, buns and granolas, for example!
3. Incorporate a daily veggie snack
It is super easy to find ourselves snacking on things – chips or chocolate cookies. Substituting those food options for a bowl of broccoli and carrots with ranch dressing will help tremendously! If you enjoy the foods above too much to let them go, then a good habit would be swapping out half of the serving of your chips for a vegetable with a yummy dressing or sauce that you enjoy. I enjoy chips, so one of my favorite things to do is swap half of the chips I’d normally eat for the addition of salsa and some carrots on the side along with it.
Tip: Too much restriction can lead to bingeing or viewing food in a negative way. Be careful with the all or nothing approach while dealing with snacking or food products.
One of the greatest things we’ll do in life is tend to and care for the body we’ve been given on this earth. You may be surprised with how much better you feel and move when you give it the nutrients that it thrives on and utilizes for everyday functioning. I hope this article gave you some new ideas or at least inspired you in some way. Thank you for taking the time to read it. As always, much love to you and hoping many blessings come your way!
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