How to Eat More Vegetables

How many servings of vegetables do you eat in a day? I always thought I did a decent job of packing in the vegetables on any given day, until recently; I was told I need to up my intake considerably.

I’m sure you have heard of the health benefits juicing can provide too, but I never thought it was something that could benefit me; I was wrong. Anytime an individual has a serious health issue juicing can be a natural method of getting high doses of nutrition into your system quickly.

This alternative natural method can assist the body in healing. I did not fully understand what a valuable tool juicing can be, but mostly I didn’t have a clue as to what a time consuming undertaking and a mess it can make!

I was told for maximum health benefits I should be juicing organic vegetables all day long. This panned out to be approximately two crisper drawers full of organic vegetables. My doctor loaned me a professional grade juicer, so I could try it out. After my first failed attempt with the juicer, broccoli stems shot everywhere, and a tiny little bit of juice spit out the other end; that was enough for me to call it quits.

For me, personally it was too overwhelming, so I headed to the local health food store where they juiced organic vegetables. For the next 12 days I went faithfully to get a 32 ounce drink of vegetables. As I watched them make my juice I noticed that they used a large amount of celery or cucumber as the base and very little of the dark leafy greens, which is the good stuff and full of nutrients.

For the price, $12.99 for a 32 ounce drink I found I was better off to make it myself, but wasn’t up to juicing again. So I decided to get a little creative with my snacks, drinks and my crock pot and I wanted to share my experiences with you.

First, I found some yummy recipes for snacks and I exchanged my mid-morning protein snack for cauliflower popcorn and kale chips. Try them.

Between meals I am also drinking Greens Plus; I aim for two drinks daily. The beauty of greens is that 1 scoop can equal up to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. You can find out more about drinking greens here.

And for my lunch and dinner I have turned to my crock pot. A crock pot doesn’t take a lot of effort and there’s very little waste. I keep the crisper packed with organic vegetables. I pick them up weekly at the fresh market. I also pick them up at the local health food store. You can also stock up on organic vegetables most grocery stores. Most grocery stores have an organic section of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Here’s what’s on today’s menu for lunch:

• 4-8 leaves of kale
• 1 head of broccoli
• ½ onion
• Handful of Dandelion greens
• 2 tsp Ghee butter
• 3 Tbsps oregano- One of my favorite herbs is oregano, but you can select any herbs you like.

I love this 5 quart crock pot that I picked up at my local Big Lots for $20.00.

Here are a few of my favorite organic greens. I always wash them thoroughly before cutting them and putting them in the crock pot.

For extra flavor, I add oregano and Ghee butter which gives this dish a wonderful flavor. You can find out more about Ghee butter here.

This simple dish takes very little effort.

Once it is ready to serve I add a packet of Chlorella on top of my vegetables. Chlorella is a whole food from pure green algae and is considered a ‘superfood.’

Note: I also have a fist size of protein with this meal, not shown in picture.

Here are some ideas you might like to try in your crock pot.

• Artichokes, onions, spinach, kale, Swiss chard
• Carrots and lamb-They make a great combo.
• Artichoke, chicken, basil and parsley-Is another one of my favorites.

Beastly tips:

1. Make sure you buy organic produce.
2. Always rinse your vegetables before you put them in the crock pot.
3. Use almond, grape seed oil or Ghee butter in your crock pot. I always save my extra virgin olive oil for cold foods as it has a tendency to burn above 350 degrees.

Friendly word of caution you will be in the bathroom a lot, but this is a good thing. You will be eliminating harmful toxins from your gastrointestinal tract and throughout your body; this will assist your whole body in healing.

With a little creativity, consuming all of these vegetables can be fun! How many servings of veggies do you eat in one day? Let me know in the comment section below.