10 Ways To Sneak More Fruits And Vegetables Into Your & Your Family’s Diet
Last Updated on October 28, 2021 by ELLEASH
This post will detail 10 ways you can easily sneak more fruit and vegetables into your and your family’s diet, as well as a whole bunch of products that go hand in hand with preparing, storing, serving & eating more fruits & vegetables. Enjoy the read!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission with every purchase you make through my links, and of course, at no additional cost to you. I do greatly appreciate it, as it helps me run my blog and post content that will help you in your daily life. Please read the full disclosure here. Oh, and just in case — I am NOT a mental health professional! What I write are my experiences, tips & personal advice. If you are in need of help, please don’t hesitate to contact a professional! Please read the full disclosure here concerning that point. Okay, that’s out of the way – READ ON!!
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10 Ways To Sneak More Fruits And Vegetables Into Your & You Family’s Diet
Hey hey my lovely entrepreneurs,
We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. That is 10 a day, which is sometimes an unattainable feat if you are a super busy woman and/or mom!
So knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? What if I told you that it can actually be easy peasy to sneak more fruit and vegetables into your diet.
We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If you are (or your family) are anything like me (or mine), you’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta, instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. Am I right? Don’t lie to me! Lol 🤪
So sometimes we have to get creative.
Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your and your family’s diet.
Remember that eating healthy is a process, and it does require a little planning, but it’s definitely something you can start doing today.
I have a meal planning bundle that may help you with these healthy eating habits. By adding items to your menu, it’s. a great reminder to not forget to eat more fresh fruits and veggies! You can grab it for FREE below, if you want to start off your meal planning, and more importantly, if you want to elevate your current diet to some good, wholesome healthy eating habits!
If you are just starting out, on your journey, go slow. Don’t get all radical with your lifestyle changes. And lastly, remember that healthy eating is taking care of yourself and your family.
Take your time, enjoy the process and get some self care happening!!
If self-care is your jam, download the free self care bundle below, and enjoy the self- care posts on the blog here.
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I know how hard it is to juggle everything in your life andactually live your life! So download the free self care bundle & start your self care journey today.
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1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie
All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go.
I like to sip mine in my reusable smoothie cup on the way to work, or in this pretty tumbler when at home.
To make it even more appealing for your kids (if you have any, or just for yourself!), use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie.
Your kids won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast, and somehow I bet you’re going to love this hack to ensure you’re eating up more fruits and vegetables!
Some products you may enjoy using to create that yummy smoothie:
This blender is great for a family, as it has a large capacity and it totally crushes your ingredients and ice, super fast!
A personal AND portable blender, take this baby anywhere and you can have yourself any smoothie you want! Great for travelling.
With its super pretty retro feel, I like this personal blender, not only for its look, but for its BPA-free plastic, its 6 blades and just overall functionality.
I also enjoy making my own yoghurt and the BEAR yoghurt maker is awesome for it. You can make ‘normal’ yoghurt, but we tend to love Greek yoghurt and this can make it super yummy & creamy.
KETO SMOOTHIES
These are awesome! You get your products delivered straight to your door. The ingredients are all freeze-dried and they are Keto-friendly. I can get these in France anymore, but if you are in the USA, you definitely WANT to try these!!
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Some posts you may also enjoy:
- 10 Natural Ways To Relieve Your Stress Levels Naturally
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- The Exact Things I Did Last Month To Stay On Track With My Mental Health
- 10 Easy Ways To Eat Healthy On A Budget
2. Eat dried fruits
Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. They are an convenient & healthy option when wanting to get more fruits into your or your family’s diet.
Why not add some small cartons of raisins or almonds to your bag. Or sneak them into your kids’ lunchboxes! How about packing some yogurt-covered raisins in your partner’s bag as well? Every little bit helps!
I always keep raw almonds and these delicious dried cranberries sitting around for snacking. I took to this healthy habit when I pregnant with Little C. I was always snacking and nibbling, and one of the healthy ways of being able to do so, was by always having these yummy nuts and dried fruits.
You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. We prefer steel cut oats, as they make-for a great breakfast and they are much more filling – so everyone is productive and not peckish until lunch!
Having dried fruits around is also a great idea when the fruits you love aren’t in season!
Some products you my also enjoy snacking on:
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3. Add some fruits and vegetables to your sandwiches
You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Yum!
Being in France, we are always looking for yummy peanut butter! This is a spread most Frenchies aren’t used to eating, and dare I say, do not enjoy eating, lol! But I love it, as does Little C!! Jif Natural Creamy PB has been my favorite ever since I’ve been a little kid. I still eat it today! Thank you Amazon!!
Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and anything else they will eat. You can even make a sub shop style vegetable sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some mayonnaise and cheese on bread.
I love making home-made sandwiches when out and about. It’s easy to just give in to take-out, but healthy food doesn’t have to hard. And it’s definitely cheaper to make your own, rather than eat out every time you leave your house!
Some of my favorite food storage items to keep my sandwiches fresh:
These items are all free-BPA plastic, but when I am preparing a packed lunch for Little C, when she goes on school outings, I don’t want her carrying around something super heavy, such as glass!
However, I do prefer glass containers, like the last one, for sandwiches. I also have a whole bunch of other glass containers, that I use at home, but that is a whole other blog post in itself!
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Some posts that may be of interest to you:
- 10 Natural Ways To Relieve Your Stress Levels Naturally
- Water Is The Key To Your Natural Beauty
- The Exact Things I Did Last Month To Stay On Track With My Mental Health
- 10 Easy Ways to eat healthy on a budget
- eat your stress away
4. Have a salad bar at dinner
We can’t go out at the moment, as we are under another strict lockdown and all cafés, restaurants and bars are shut. So, having a ‘pretend’ bar-type evening in our kitchen, makes it super fun and we are also fuelling up on our daily dose of fresh fruits and vegetables!
Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons as well as several choices of salad dressing along with the lettuce and create your own perfect salad.
Some of my favorite crockery and bowls I use when we have our at-home salad-bar:
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5. Drink your fruits and vegetables
Honestly, I love this tip! Who doesn’t enjoy a super fresh glass of juice?
If drinking your veggies isn’t something you enjoy, mix it up a little. Don’t just drink a veggie juice. Mix your fruits and veggies to create something super tasty and super healthy.
Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack.
Get creative.
You could start “family cocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice. Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas and sit together to talk about how everybody’s day went.
Some great products to get your juice-on the easy (reads as lazy!) way:
This product may not be something you expect me to promote, but seriously, it is my favorite sneaky way of eating more vegetables! Lol. Super handy, when I just don’t have the time (gasp!) to make my juice from scratch, but want the benefits of a yummy juice!!
Another great cheat-product. Sometimes life just happens, but powders are a super great way to eat more vegetables and fruits, without the hassle of making your own from A-Z!
This juice extractor is a great value for your money. Does its job and is really sturdy and efficient. Clean-up is quick and easy.
A little pricey, but really worth the money. It has a soft mode for juice with a little pulp and it has a hard mode for a juice with no pulp. The sound isn’t too overbearing either, and very easy to use.
These 3 products above are awesome to store your yummy juices. If you prefer batch cooking (which as a busy working Mom, I love !) then these will come in handy.
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6. Sneak your fruits into your dessert
Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit. Who doesn’t like ice-cream? Or frozen yoghurt? And who would decline eating it for dessert?!
I love making my own frozen yoghurt. I just pour plain Greek yoghurt into a silicone baking dish, with compartments, or in popsicle moulds, and then stick it in the freezer. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll mix in some homemade jam, or even frozen berries, and when dessert rolls around, I’ll add some fresh fruit on top.
And if I’ve got a litle time on my hands, I’ll make my yoghurt from scratch with my yoghurt maker that you can find here.
I have something healthy to eat, yet I still feel like I am indulging!
Little C loves this dessert and I feel like it’s a great compromise, as it is healthier than just plain ice cream. We are all able to eat more fruits and have some comforting dessert. I’m happy, she’s happy! SCORE!!
Useful products that may be of help:
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7. Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks
You can cut apples into slices and top them with a little peanut butter or cheese. Personally, I just love sliced apples with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top or even some PB!
Cube cheese and serve with grapes.
Cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip.
And of course there’s ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the inside of a stick of celery and sprinkle raisins on it (wow, fruit and vegetable in one snack).
Useful products to save time:
This item is my secret weapon !!! This product has saved my sorry butt so many times when I was preparing fruits for Little C. A time-saver, waste-saver, pretty much a life-saver!! I used it so much when Little C was transitioning to solids.
Probably one of my most used products in the kitchen. SO practical and such a time-saver!
Another favorite! If you want to ensure you and your family are eating fresh goodness, invest in this little baby! Like all the products mentioned, this is another mega time-saver!
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8. Try some new fruits and vegetables
Pick something exotic to pique your family’s curiosity. With a little luck their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension to trying something new. You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store.
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9. Make hearty soups or stews
Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold.
I absolutely love making those massive veggie soups in the winter. Not only am I eating super healthy foods, but am getting my family to eat a whole bunch of veggies, they may not actually eat on their own!
Extra tip: If you don’t have time to make your own stock, buy it.
In France, Knorr, has finally come up with a liquid stock, so it makes it SO easy to quickly whip up a yummy, vegetable-filled soup!!
For my US readers, you have a plethora of great stock products that you can use, if you are running low on time! I loved using Swanson Unsalted Chicken Broth and Pacific Foods Organic Free Range Low-Sodium Chicken Broth when I was in the States.
Useful products to make hearty and yummy soups:
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10. Start a “My Veggie Day” tradition
Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week.
They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before, otherwise they lose a turn and Mom gets to pick! Yay!!
Try tasting them prepared in different ways too! You can cook them or fry them even eat the raw.
Creativity is key here to get everyone to eat more vegetables!
Awesome products for new family traditions & eating more veggies:
I highly recommend having a really good cutting board and sharp knives. Preparation is key! The kids knife set is awesome when you want your kids to participate in the preparation. Not only are they helping out, but they are also discovering that eating healthy can actually be super fun!
And presentation is also important. Being able to show-off your yummy meals is another cool part of eating more fresh vegetables and fruits!!
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The Takeaway
Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.
Now that everyone in the family has gotten a taste for it, make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on.
Trying to sneak more fruits and vegetables into your diet, and your family’s, is a really creative process! You need to persevere and sometimes pray to the Goddess of wholesome goodness, because it’s sometimes so hard to get everyone to more healthy food.
But with perseverance and a whole lot of creativity, I have no doubt that you and your family are going to loving how you feel after indulging in some fresh goodness!
Don’t forget your meal planning made easy bundle, to help you on your journey to healthy eating!
Elle Ash xo
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