5 Vegetables You Should Be Eating Every Day

If you're anything like the average American, you probably don't eat enough vegetables (but you know that already since you clicked on this article). I was blessed to be raised in a household where veggies were always delicious, though I understand the dislike of produce from the general population. 

When we consider the importance of changing our lifestyles, and more specifically our diet, it can definitely feel overwhelming, and at times hopeless. Education is key, and changing the narrative in our minds will do wonders.

Instead of harboring over the mindset of having no choice but to remove meat, sweets, and so on from your life, think about adding more nutrient-dense health foods like dark leafy greens, citrus fruits, and robust grains into your day-to-day diet. 

When we phrase it in that way, it seems more doable, which it is! So today, start by adding just five vegetables into your day today, even if the servings are small. It doesn't matter. Baby steps are still steps, and millions of baby steps end up making a huge difference and will get you ultra far!

1. Kale

Kale is kind of trendy right now. It seems to keep making its way into various health-food products, and it's seemingly impossible to avoid, though for good reason. Making kale every day is stupid-easy. 

I genuinely love the taste of it, so it's easy for me to throw it into a dish or serve it as a side to guests since I'm accustomed to preparing it. Kale chips were my weakness during college and probably saved me from midnight snacking weight gain. If you're a kale virgin, do this.

Step 1: Olive oil or oil of choice on a non-stick pan (just a drop). I like the spray-on, too.

Step 2: Rinse kale thoroughly and be sure to remove any dirt and debris-it does grow from the ground after all. Break the kale up into small, bite-sized pieces. If necessary, remove it from the ribs, which appear as hard stem-like structures down the spine of the plant. It makes the kale less enjoyable to eat at times, so I often opt to remove it.

Step 3: Add nutritional yeast (aka nooch found on Amazon and basically every grocery store nowadays), some salt (I used iodized), and cracked pepper. Distribute evenly and cook until all kale has withered and appears as a rich, forest green. Do not overcook-you're sizzling out all the nutrients.

• Muah! chef's kiss.** Your kale is done in under five minutes, literally. Oh, also it's friggin' scrump!
• Health benefits in a nutshell: nutrient-dense with vitamins A, K, C, B6, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium, and others.
• low-cal, antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting food + more

2. Beets

I recently decided I wanted to learn literally everything about beets possible. If you're a history buff, check out my article on The History of Beets. Anyway, beets are pretty cool, and in my opinion, severely underrated. 

They are so intensely antioxidant-rich, rich in vitamins like folate, manganese, potassium, and others, high in nitrates which help regulate blood flow amongst other things. Some call beets a superfood, while others despise this incredible medicine from nature.

Best Ways to make Beets:

• Boil them
• Roast them
• Steam them
• Throw them in the oven
• In salads
• Borscht + thousands of others across various cuisines

3. Garlic

I'll admit it, I'm addicted to garlic. As an Italian, it is my greatest duty to love garlic with every fiber in my being. Lucky for me, it's known to increase longevity by protecting the heart, brain, and other organs. It's antioxidant-rich, pulls heavy metals from the body, and is incredibly nutritious and low-calorie. 

Garlic is proven to boost the function of the immune system, and reduce the number of days one may suffer from the common cold or flu. Used preventatively as my Italian father always does, you may be able to avoid sickness and increase your lifespan.

How to incorporate beloved garlic into your day-to-day:

• If you enjoy toast, quickly sauté garlic with your choice of oil, crisp it up (my favorite) and top your toast with this immunity booster.
• Some say that to maximize benefits that one should eat raw garlic on an empty stomach. I tried this once in college (raw garlic on a piece of toast with oil) and it caused a burning sensation in my stomach, one that was mildly unpleasant and left me feeling rather gassy. Perhaps, though, your body will react differently.
• Add it to guac or salsa
• Purchase the pre-packaged minced garlic in a jar to cut down preparation time and easily add garlic to any (or every) dish
• Based on current research, garlic can effectively reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and others.

4. Spinach

I'm sure you want to be strong like Popeye, so it's best you eat your spinach! I always recommend fresh spinach to those trying to incorporate more leafy greens into their day-to-day. 

Frozen spinach just doesn't cut it in terms of taste, and it actually takes longer to cook than fresh does. Spinach is so versatile, easily delicious, and powerhouse food. I am left with utter shock when people remark that they dislike spinach. Like, how can anyone dislike spinach? I just don't get it.

Spinach may support good energy, help maintain vision, supports heart health, protects bones, and more. Spinach can easily be sauteed with some garlic, onions, salt, and pepper, staples in any household. It can be steamed, boiled, or consumed raw. You can add raw spinach to smoothies as well for an added boost of protein.

Some recipes to jumpstart your new spinach addiction…I mean addition

• Lemon Garlic Spinach
• Spinach Mac-n-Cheese
• Creamed Spinach
• Spinach Quiche
• Spinach Balls

What are you waiting for?

5. Tomatoes

While technically a fruit, the power of the mighty tomato must not be overlooked. While we may take tomatoes for granted since they are so easily accessible, (at least in New Jersey), it's important to choose our tomatoes wisely to maximize the nutrition and taste. 

While home-grown are always best in terms of taste, not everyone may have the opportunity to grow them through the summer months.

If you want to add more produce to your life, specifically tomatoes, refrain from purchasing the conventional ones that literally taste like napkins. 

Spend a little more for the organic variety, proven to have significantly higher levels of vitamin c and lycopene, good for bone health and blood pressure. On the 2020 Dirty Dozen list, tomatoes rank #12, so it's really important that you opt for organic.

Tomatoes are probably one of the more versatile fruits. You can chomp down on one like an apple, make bruschetta, add to avo toast, throw in your salad, add to your sautee, turn into homemade sauce, and so on. 

The options are literally endless. Why live another day without this phenomenal plant? My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

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