10 Ways to Eat More Plants

Most of us could benefit from consuming more plants (such as fruits and vegetables) but sometimes adding these foods into our diet can be challenging. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 – 2025, only about 1 in 5 Americans consumes the recommended amount of fruit, and about 1 in 10 consumes the recommended amount of veggies (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020). Worse still, 98% of individuals miss the mark when it comes to whole grains (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020).

Yet, replacing all favorite meals with lettuce and quinoa to meet these goals is not realistic or sustainable for most people (read: probably anyone).  I love food just as much as the next person, but as a nutrition student I find great joy in pumping up the plant content of meals. That is why I encourage others to incorporate more plants into their favorite meals instead of simply replacing meals with plants. Keep reading, I am going to share some of my favorite tips for incorporating plants into my meals.

1. Have a small salad with dinner, every night

I once read that John Legend has a salad with EVERY meal, and while this sounds great, it may be more realistic to just start with dinner. Growing up (and still to this day) my mom and grandma always served a salad before our entrée, just a simple salad with lettuce, tomatoes and radishes (or green onions). Doing this is an easy one or two guaranteed servings of veggies every night. Find your favorite, simple salad and give it a try!

2. Jazz up pasta sauce with frozen veggies

This is my favorite trick (full disclosure: I love noodles). Regardless of what the sauce is – you can pump it up by adding some frozen veggies. My favorite veggies to add include frozen spinach, broccoli and peas, but you should try tossing in whatever veggies you’ll eat. This trick can even make a boxed mac-and-cheese meal fancy.

3. Clean and prepare your produce as soon as possible

We all know those strawberries will be a lot more tempting to snack on if they’re already washed, chopped and waiting to be devoured. Likewise, that salad will more likely be made if the lettuce has already been washed. Whatever produce you get – clean it, chop it and store it the right way to ensure it lasts. This will save time (and possibly money) down the line too!

4. Buy plant foods that you love (not the ones you think you “should”)

What is the fun in eating foods that you don’t like? Instead, focus on foods that you love. Before going to the grocery store or ordering groceries online, think about some of your favorite produce- what are some of your top-rated fruits, vegetables, and grains? Once you figure that out, eat more of those and less of the ones that don’t bring you joy. This is what I call paging Marie Kondo to the world of nutrition.

5. Eat plants as a snack

While I love peanut butter stuffed pretzels, sometimes it feels good to bite into a fresh snack instead. There are many ways to turn some of your favorite fruits and veggies into well-balanced snacks, whether it’s adding some peanut butter to apples, hummus to carrots, or fruit and granola to yogurt. Shop for your favorites and include those in your snack line-up (and don’t forget to prepare them ahead of time!)

6. Make a salad you actually want to eat

Salads do not have to be boring. Bon Appetit published a great piece in 2019 to help enhance the flavor of salads. Some of my favorite salad tips include balancing textures (crunchy, mushy, crisp, etc.), ensuring it hits the big three (carbs, fats, proteins – preferably in the form of plants), adding herbs (dill please!), and topping with homemade dressing (I love balsamic, Dijon and maple syrup). And of course, do no forget the pepitas or sunflower seeds, which make great salad toppers and add some crunch, protein and healthy fats too!

7. Eat Beans, the magical plant

Beans are a magical plant: they are inexpensive, versatile, and provide many benefits for your body such as plant-based protein, fiber, prebiotics, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  These legumes just make me happy and I love throwing them into anything I can, whether it’s as a salad topper, mock tuna salad (chickpeas anyone?), or packed into a veggie burger.

The more beans you eat, the more your body will thank you for it. But, yes, they can make you toot! If you’re not a big bean eater, make sure you slowly ease them into your diet and give yourself time to get used to the increase in fiber.  Slowly increasing your intake of fiber will help to cut back on possible toot-age (Cleveland Clinic, 2020).

8. Consistency is key

Although variety might be the spice of life (and a recommended dietary pattern to follow), consistency is key! For most of us, it’s not realistic  to try new foods every week and new recipes every day. That’s why sometimes you just need to find things you love and rotate those as part of your diet. For instance, almost every morning, I have oats with peanut butter, seeds (I rotate some combination of pepitas, sunflower, flax, chia, hemp), banana and blueberries. This is easy to prepare, nutrient dense and full of delicious plants. Embrace the staples that pack a lot of plants!

9. Whole grains (period)

As evidenced by only 2% of Americans consuming the recommended amount, I would say whole grains are easy to miss even in a well-balanced diet. A trick that I use to make sure I do not miss whole grains in my diet is to prepare grains in bulk and use them throughout the week. Once the grain is batch cooked, it can be used in many ways– you can throw them into a salad, a Buddha bowl or eat as a side.

When trying to increase the amount of whole grains you are consuming, try to find opportunities to incorporate them into meals. For example, you can consider these options for different meals: Oats or Ezekiel English muffins for breakfast, a whole-wheat bread sandwich for lunch, and a hearty whole-wheat pasta for dinner (bathed in marinara with some frozen veggies!). Most importantly, do not forget a bowl of popcorn as a mid-day snack!

10. Strive for balance

Plants are great, but not every-single-meal needs plants. While you may have heard of or tried black bean brownies, you do not have to give up your favorite classic (fudgy) recipe. It is okay to give yourself permission to enjoy a favorite meal or dessert guilt-free! There is a time for actively thinking about nutrition, and there’s also a time for just completely enjoying your current meal that may happen to be plant-free.

Thanks for reading, I hope these have been useful for you. I’d love to hear some of your tips in the comments.

References

1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (2021). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2021 – 2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf). Published 2021.
2. Team W. What You Should Know About Beans and the (Embarrassing) Gas They Cause. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-musical-fruit-what-you-should-know-about-beans-and-gas/. Published August 25, 2020.
3. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. How to Build a Healthy Eating Pattern. health.gov. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/DGA_Healthy-Eating-Pattern.pdf). Published April 2017.

By: Allison Anderson (she/her/hers)
Graduate Assistant for Student Learning – ASAP
MS Coordinated Program in Nutrition
Anticipated Graduation: December 2021