Creative Ways to Eat More Plants

Fruit and vegetables are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. But many of us don’t eat enough of them. Only 5% of adults in Australia eat the recommended 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit per day. If you’re not in the habit of loading up your plate with veg, 5 serves of veg can seem like a lot. Here’s some ways to increase your fruit and vegetable intake without feeling like you’ve got a mountain of vegetables to eat at dinner time.

Get creative with baking

It’s amazing how many plants can be hidden in baked goods. There are recipes out there such as sweet potato or black bean brownies, chocolate beetroot cupcakes, avocado chocolate mousse – the list goes on. My favourite way to include veg in baking is in a rich zucchini chocolate cake which is made nice and moist from the zucchini, but doesn’t taste any different from regular chocolate cake.

It’s easy to add nuts and seeds into your baking, assuming you’re not allergic. Chia seeds can be added into pancake batter, hemp seeds can go into almost any recipe. It’s also a vegan baking hack to use 1tbsp of ground flax seeds in a dash of water as an egg replacer! By including plenty of plant foods into your baked goods, you’ll be increasing your fibre and antioxidant intake and reducing the impact these sweet treats have on your blood sugar. 

Jump on the smoothie bandwagon

If you’re someone who finds it hard to find the time or just doesn’t have the appetite for a big meal in the morning, it’s time to get on board with smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to get plenty of nutrition into your diet without eating piles of veggies at every meal.

I love to add frozen spinach or kale to my smoothies, balanced with the sweetness of blueberries or raspberries. Getting more dark leafy greens in your diet is also a great way to support liver detoxification, and subsequently, hormone metabolism.

Use fruit as a natural sweetener

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’re not alone. But eating processed sugars have been linked to a variety of problems and can increase blood sugar levels which can lead to an energy crash, even in non-diabetics. So it’s best to use natural sugars if you do want a sweet treat and pair it with a source of fat and protein to reduce the blood sugar spike.

That’s where fruit can be a more nutritious option. Mashed bananas and apples can be great for any baked goods. A whole batch of bliss balls or protein balls can be sweetened with just a few dates. An unsweetened, Greek-style yoghurt can be sweetened with fresh fruit like berries. Fresh citrus segments or pomegranate seeds also make wonderful additions to salads with bitter greens to balance out the flavours with a hint of sweetness.

Remember to use the whole fruit, not just the juice. That way, you get the fibre along with the sweetness.

Pick smart snacks

Snacks are one of the easiest ways to get more plant foods in. Over the summer, fresh berries are a delicious snack for on the run. Nuts and seeds can be taken anywhere as a portable option. Some hummus with carrot and celery sticks will get you three different plant foods in one simple snack.

Dark chocolate coated dates and cashew nut butter has been one of my favourites to make recently, especially in the luteal phase of my cycle when I’m craving a sweet, yet nutrient dense snack – magnesium from the dark chocolate is also great for PMS and period cramps!

Try different cooking options

There is a big difference between tinned asparagus and fresh asparagus that’s lightly sautéed. Boiled cauliflower is never going to taste the same as cauliflower roasted in healthy fats and spices. How plants are prepared can make or break the flavour. Home grown and locally grown from farmers markets also make all the difference when it comes to the flavour profile of fruit and veg.

So if you’re not eating enough veg because you just don’t like them, get some fresh vegetables and try cooking them a few different ways. See if you can find a way to incorporate them into your favourite recipes.

If you’re not sure whether you’re eating enough plants, the best way to find out is to work with a nutritionist who can analyse your dietary intake and help you meet all your nutritional requirements.