Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, or meat eater you could probably incorporate moreplant based foods into your diet. Eating the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables isn’t always easy, especially when other foods seem more convenient, like that to-go order from your favorite fast food restaurant. But let’s face it, your weekly fast food indulgences won’t help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, decrease your risk of heart disease, and provide you with the vitamins and minerals to live a long healthy life. However, adding more whole plant foods to your diet will!

Now that you know eating more plant based foods is beneficial to your health, you may be wondering how you can start to incorporate them into your diet. At first it might seem overwhelming and unrealistic to get the daily recommended servings, but if you ease your way into it, you’ll notice that it is actually easy and fun too! There are so many different and delicious ways to incorporate more plant based foods to your diet and we have four ways for you to get started.

1.Start Your Morning Off With A Green Smoothie

 Instead of grabbing for the box of cereal when you wake up in the morning, blend up some glorious greens, such as kale, spinach, or chard and mix in some other fresh fruits and you’ll have a nutrient dense smoothie! Starting your day off with a large serving of fruits and vegetables in a smoothie is the perfect way to ensure you’re getting vitamins and minerals! Smoothies are also portable, so there is no excuse to why you have to stop at your local convenience store to pick up a breakfast sandwich. If you want to add some super foods to your smoothie, try adding Wholesome Greens Super Food Natural Powder Mix . This blend has 49 different superfoods and is an easy way to improve your diet!

Start off with this green smoothie:

 2 Cups of tightly packed greens

Handful of parsley

1 Cup of frozen mangos

1 Ripe banana

1 Inch piece of fresh ginger

2 Cups of liquid (coconut water, nut milk, water)

 Blend until all ingredients are smooth!

2. Grate Vegetables into Meals

 An easy way to add more vegetables to your diet is to simply grate them into your meals! Transform your meatloaf or black bean burgers to “carrot and zucchini meatloaf” and “black bean carrot burger”. Grating different vegetables is so simple to do and their texture makes it easy to add them to any dish! How about lasagna for dinner? Sneak in some grated zucchini and you’ll never taste the difference! Eggs are a great option for breakfast, but not when they are filled with cheese and butter. Try adding in some grated Brussel sprouts, tomato, and cheddar cheese. Veggies will never taste better! If you have a picky eater in your house and has a difficult time eating vegetables, sneak them into your next dinner and there will be no fuss!

3. Try Meatless Mondays

 If you eat meat and or fish, try leaving them out one day a week. Make an effort to not eat any meat or fish this day, instead try replacing them with beans, lentils, and extra plant foods. Instead of having a hamburger, try making your own plant friendly version out of lentils and beans. Don’t forget to add a side to your dish! Roast a variety of vegetables like carrots, onions, squash, eggplant, and tomatoes. When you choose to eat a certain way and eliminate specific food from your diet, you should always be replacing them with nutrient dense food. Everyone knows that one vegetarian who lives off of French fries and pizza. Don’t let that be you! Real, whole foods are what are going to make a difference and positive impact to your health, not processed foods!

If your meatless days seem a bit hard to do at first, you can supplement your protein with a plant based protein powder mix. One of our favorites is Herbal Secrets Organic Pea Powder Protein. It is easy to blend into a smoothie or mix with any liquid. Take it on the go with you as a snack and it will help you feel fuller and longer!

4. Add Variety

If you have a hard time eating veggies and fruits, it could be because you're sticking to the same few and not incorporating new ones. There should be a variety of different vegetables and fruits in your diet so you do not get bored and tired from eating the same ones every day. Instead of having spinach in your smoothie every morning, change it every other day with kale. Experiment with Brussel sprouts! Try roasting them on pan frying them or even create a Brussel sprout slaw mixed with carrots and beets. Be open to experimenting with different foods and cooking them in different ways!

Vegetables and fruits don’t have to be boring and hard to eat! They should be one of the most important foods on your plate each and every day. Eat a variety of different veggies and fruits throughout the day and you’ll see just how easy it is to eat more plant based foods!