Mar 03, 2023
Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. Michelle DuVall with the clinical nutrition department at UHC talks about helping you make simple, healthy swaps or additions to your meal. We will focus on vegetables as March is National Nutrition Month.
1). Breakfast may be one of the most difficult meals to incorporate vegetables. What are some tips that you can offer?
It does not have to be difficult. You can puree carrots or squash to mix into pancake or waffle batter. Simply add leftover cooked vegetables to your omelet or breakfast wrap. It does not get any easier than adding spinach to a morning smoothie, you will enjoy a burst of flavor and nutrition! Your family will not even realize you have kickstarted their breakfast. Adding vegetables helps increase fiber and potassium, which many Americans simply do not consume enough.
2). What is one way we can get our intake of vegetables, but feel fuller, at the same time?
A great way to feel fuller is to begin your meals with a soup or side salad. Cook a variety of colorful veggies. Make extra vegetables and save some for later to use in stews or soups. A vegetable soup or vegetable salad is a great way to ensure that you are starting to meet your daily vegetable requirements.
As part of an overall healthy diet, eating foods lower in calories per cup, such as vegetables, instead of higher-calorie food may help you lower your calorie intake.
3). When it comes to snacking, most people do not think of vegetables. What can you tell us to change our minds?
When deciding on a snack, choose options that are full of nutrients and limited in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Snack on raw veggie sticks instead of chips or crackers. Colorful and crunchy raw vegetables are a healthy choice. Wash and cut up fresh vegetables and portion these into reusable containers so you are are prepared to grab-and-go. Also, try dipping broccoli, zucchini sticks, or baby carrots in hummus, guacamole, or a low-fat yogurt sauce.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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