How to eat more vegetables is one of the most common questions we get at our Samford gym, and it usually comes from people who already know they should. The problem is rarely knowledge. It is time, habit and a fridge drawer full of good intentions that go limp by Friday.
Start with where you are
The Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest five serves of vegetables a day for most adults. A serve is half a cup of cooked vegetables or a cup of salad. Most Australians eat fewer than three.
Count yours for two ordinary days. Then aim to add one serve, not three. Small changes that stick beat a big overhaul that lasts a week.
How to eat more vegetables: nine easy wins
- Add one to breakfast. Spinach in eggs, tomato on toast, or a handful of greens in a smoothie.
- Buy frozen. Frozen peas, beans, corn and stir-fry mixes are picked and frozen quickly, and they never go off in the drawer.
- Roast two trays on Sunday. Reheat them all week in lunches, wraps and omelettes.
- Half the plate rule. At dinner, fill half the plate with vegetables before anything else goes on.
- Hide them in mince. Grated carrot and zucchini in bolognese, tacos or rissoles.
- Keep snack vegetables cut. Carrot, capsicum, cucumber and snow peas next to hummus at eye level in the fridge.
- Use soup. A big pot of vegetable soup turns five serves into one bowl.
- Buy pre-washed salad. It costs a bit more and gets eaten far more often.
- Double the recipe’s vegetables. Most recipes are light on them. Nobody complains.
Busy weeks, training weeks
When training ramps up, vegetables are often the first thing to drop off the plate. People reach for quick carbohydrate and protein and forget the rest. Pre-cut, frozen and roasted vegetables are what keep them in the week.
Our pre workout snack guide covers the food around a session. Vegetables mostly belong in the meals further away from training, because a big salad straight before a run sits heavily.
What about powders?
Some members like a greens or plant food powder in a morning smoothie because it is quick. A powder is a convenience, not a replacement for a plate of vegetables. If you are curious what is actually in one, here is a plain guide to daily greens powder.
Make it a habit, not a project
Tie the new vegetable to something you already do. If you always have eggs at 6am, the spinach goes in the eggs. If you always pack lunch, the roast tray goes in the box. Habits stick when they piggyback on habits.
Track it for two weeks on a sticky note on the fridge. One tick per serve. It sounds simple because it is.
Families and fussy eaters
If kids or partners resist, start with the vegetables they already eat and serve more of those. Corn, peas, carrots and cucumber count. Variety can come later.
Common questions
Do frozen vegetables count?
Yes. Frozen vegetables count the same as fresh, and for busy people they are often the better option because nothing gets wasted.
Does potato count as a vegetable?
In the Australian Dietary Guidelines, yes, potato counts in the vegetable group. Aim for a mix of colours rather than relying on one.
Is juice the same as eating vegetables?
Not really. Juicing removes much of the fibre and pulp. A blended smoothie keeps the whole vegetable.
How many serves should I aim for?
Five a day is the guideline for most adults. If you are at two, aim for three first.
When to get it checked
If changes to your eating are not matching how you feel in training, or you are unsure how much to eat for your sessions, book in with an exercise physiologist. We look at training load and recovery together and refer to a dietitian when that is the better fit.