Stay Healthy by Increasing Your Veggie Intake [SPONSORED]

By: Alissa Murphy, MS, RD, Sodexo Clinical Dietitian, Raritan Bay Medical Center

 The Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage people to increase their vegetable intake. Vegetables are full of nutrients like fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and potassium.

Plus by increasing vegetable intake, you may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. We've partnered with Raritan Bay Medical Center to bring you some quick and easy tips on staying healthy by eating more vegetables. Below are five tips for increasing your vegetable intake:

• Make  a “green” smoothie for breakfast: Add 1 cup of spinach to your favorite smoothie combination
• Add  1 cup of pureed vegetables (i.e. carrots, cauliflower, sweet potatoes) to your favorite  soup or casserole dish
• Add ½ cup of diced vegetables or arugula greens on top of your favorite pizza.
• Pre-cut vegetables at the beginning of the week and toss into small containers or sandwich bags for easy accessible snacks throughout the week.
• Make a meatless meal one night a week for dinner. Instead of having meat as the centerpiece of the meal find a recipe that showcases a vegetable. Chose a new vegetable each week for variety!

 Thanks to Raritan Bay Medical Center for providing us with some quick tips on how to increase your veggie intake. For more information, visit: http://www.mycentraljerseyhealth.com/