Eat More Veggies

Next week I am teaming up with my best blogging buddies, Pumpkin and Peanut Butter and Fooduzzi, to Eat More Veggies. That’s right – welcome to the #eatmoreveggieschallenge!

After the crazy indulgence that is the holiday season and with the start of a new year, I know I really love this time of year to be able to reset. To be able to forget about all the cookies, glasses of wine and huge family dinners of December and get back to focusing on more simple things on my dinner plate – fruits and vegetables. To be able to get back to healthy, whole foods that not only make me feel good but taste good too. To be able to get back to my old ways of farmer’s market visits, enjoying all my favourite seasonal veggies in the form of salads, oven-roasted side dishes and soups.

Why I eat seasonally?

Foods that are in season are always best. (READ: foods that are able to be harvested where you live during a given time of year; this varies region to region so what’s in season on the west coast might not be in season on the east.) They taste the best, are the freshest and most vibrant, and are usually their cheapest at the grocery store and your local farmer’s market too. And they taste the best!

Buying produce that is in season also means that you are supporting local farmers, which is always a good thing.

But it’s January and the elephant in the room is definitely the fact that it’s the middle of winter and most vegetables don’t grow when it’s completely freezing outside.

This is very true… but it doesn’t mean that there still aren’t plenty of vegetables to choose from.

Kale, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, onions, spinach, beets… the list goes on and on. So many veggies to enjoy until spring (and warmer temperatures come!).

Why do we want to eat more veggies?

Well, because eating more vegetables is never a bad thing!

And because eating more vegetables, in my nutritionist-to-be opinion, probably the number one thing you can do to live a healthier life. Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibre and eating more of them makes you feel good in every physical, mental and emotional way possible.

And because it’s January which means cold, wintery temperatures. And cooler temperatures means most of us have a tendency to crave super rich and heavy comfort food which is totally normal and part of a balanced lifestyle. Buuuut if we can add a couple more veggies to our favourite comfort food dishes, our bodies (and tastebuds!) will definitely thank us.

The 10 veggies I am selecting to all eat more of are kale, squash, carrots, spinach, brussels sprouts, parsnips, onions, broccoli, mushrooms and beets. Some of these vegetables I eat all the time already and some are a little less familiar (which is what I am most excited for!).

[bctt tweet=”I’m excited to EAT MORE VEGGIES with @pumpkinandpb @fooduzzi #eatmoreveggieschallenge ” username=”nourishingblog”]

How does the challenge work?

For 10 days (starting Monday, January 9th) Liz, Alexa and I will be challenging each other to Eat More Veggies. And we would love if you would join in too! Each day we will be enjoying a different and readily available, in-season vegetable.

And let me tell you, I’m excited to eat ALL the veggies!

To join in, all you have to do is follow Pumpkin and Peanut Butter, Fooduzzi and NOURISHED on Instagram or follow along using the hashtag #eatmoreveggieschallenge and then tag us in your winter veggie-based photo captions you post to the ‘gram. We will posting the ways we try to incorporate the day’s vegetable as part of our breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. We’ll be getting super creative in hopes of inspiring you to eat more veggies too!

Needs some veggie inspiration for the next 10 days? Check these out…

Kale:

Asian Kale Slaw with Miso Ginger Dressing
Peanut Kale Soba Noodles
Curry Cauliflower and Kale Grain Salad
Bean, Kale and Grain Bowl with Mandarin Dressing
Easy Black Bean and Kale Salad
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad

Squash:

Carrots:

Spinach:

Brussels Sprouts:

Parsnips:

We are working on some great recipes featuring parsnips, but in the meantime check these out…

Onions:

Broccoli:

Mushrooms:

Beets: