Cr8 Fitness is turning 15! In the gym we've been doing monthly challenges to celebrate being in business for 15 years. We've had ski, sled pushing, KB Swings, drinking water to start the day, not eating after our last meal and individual 24 hour goals. In May our challenge is to eat 15 different veggies - or more and also to avoid snacking 15 days this month. Both of these challenges seem rather easy. Let's see who can complete them first. To help you out, I've listed 40 ways to to add in more Fruit and Vegetables to your eating plan. At the bottom of this post I've included a link so you can track your 15 different vegetables and your 15 days without snacks.
1. Mix a bag of shredded cabbage with a little light coleslaw dressing; chopped apples or canned pineapplechunks are optional.
2. Add grated carrots or zucchini to spaghetti sauce.
3. Substitute Jicama slices for the crunch in a taco or taco salad. Remember Papa Dean's Spicy Blend makes a great salad base.
4. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and cilantro to bottled salsa as a quick dip for chips, baby carrots, or pita, orpile it on as dressing for salads, tacos, and burritos.
5. Make Shepard's Pie with a Twist
6. Add lots of leaf lettuce, red onion, and thick tomato slices to a turkey sandwich.
7. Pop frozen blueberries or grapes into your mouth for a sorbet like treat.
8. Top your morning cereal with dried plums or cranberries or a handful of fresh berries.
9. Add canned mandarin oranges to your spinach salad.
10. Skewer more vegetables (cherry tomatoes, carrot slices, mushrooms, eggplant, onion, squash, sweet potato,etc.) than meat on your shish kabobs.
11. Add frozen green peas to chicken noodle soup.
12. Your snack stash is bananas, oranges, apples, baby carrots, raisins, andgrapes rather than chips, pretzels, popcorn, or icecream.
13. Add fruit and veggies to your protein shake (smoothie).
14. Make fruit or vegetable salsa and sauces with mango, papaya, peach, or pineapple and use it in place ofcreamed sauces on meats, fish, and chicken.
15. Sweeten nonfat, plain yogurt with fruit.
16. After dinner, place a platter of cut-up fruit and veggies on the table for snacking in the evenings.
17. When eating out, order entrees that feature vegetables (grilled vegetable sandwich, salad, vegetable soup).
18. Ask your waiter to hold the potato and instead bring two side orders of vegetables (steamed) with your meal.
19. Add grapes, mandarin oranges, or cubed apples to chicken salad. Then add sliced celery and shredded carrots.
20. Skip the syrup, and top pancakes, waffles, or French toast with fresh fruit.
21. Puree vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, or broccoli to add to soup stock and sauces.
22. Add dried fruit to stuffings and rice dishes.
23. Double your normal portion of and vegetable (except french fries or iceberg lettuce!).
24. Cut sweet potatoes into half-inch strips and roast them, for a tasty alternative to french fries.
25. Stuff an almond into each of five pitted dried plums for a sweet, chewy, crunchy snack.
26. Plan your dinner around the theme of “Meat and Three Veggies.”
27. Toss a bag of frozen stew vegetables (large hunks of carrots, potato, celery, and onion) with a tablespoon ofolive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
28. Toss chopped tomatoes, corn, red onion, salt, and rice vinegar for a quick and filling snack or lunch salad.
29. Add cilantro, chopped tomatoes, corn, grated carrots, or other vegetables to tacos and burritos.
30. Once a week, have a meal salad for dinner, such as Raspberry Summer Salad or Chicken Bacon Salad.
31. Take advantage of precut vegetables, packaged salads, supermarket salad bars, and specialty produce.
32. Grill extra vegetables at dinner to use in a quick wrap for tomorrow’s lunch.
33. Fill a halved cantaloupe with lemon-flavored yogurt.
34. Add flowers such as dandelions, violets, daylilies, clover, and oxalis to salads.
35. Add steamed asparagus or green beans to your favorite pasta dish.
36. Top pizza with quartered artichoke hearts (canned in water), roasted red peppers, red onion, sliced zucchini,and fresh tomatoes.
37. Buy produce at various stages of ripeness to avoid spoilage.
38. Stock up on frozen plain vegetables for last-minute meals.
39. Plant a pear or apple tree, a row of blueberry bushes, or a vegetable garden in the backyard.
40. When eating out, ask for two sides of vegetables, or split an entrée and complement it with a salad.
Here's the Challenge and Details for May.
I dare you, double dog dare you to take this challenge. The proof will be on your checklist. Its all on the honor system because your healthy food eating is a WIN for you. It certainly can catch on and others will want to join in. Lets see who can be the first to each of these two challenges.
15 Different Vegetables Eaten in May
15 Days without Snacking
You can download and print off your Veggies - No Snacking Checklist Here or go to Facebook and get it here.
Enjoy Good Food,
Coach Nancy