One of the many questions I get as a nutrition coach are about vegetables. What vegetables are best for weight loss? Are frozen vegetables ok to eat or do they have to be fresh?
If you are trying to lose weight, odds are you aren’t eating enough non-starchy vegetables each day. So the answer for that person would be: The best vegetables for you to eat are the ones that you will eat.
Crazy simple huh?
Sure different vegetables have different levels of nutrients.
But if you don’t eat any now, then what does it matter which ones are better than others, or if they should be frozen or canned or fresh?
All that matters is that you eat them.
If you make it difficult for yourself, you won’t.
How to start incorporating vegetables into your diet.
- QUICK: Grocery shop (online or in person) and get yourself a container of precut vegetables that you can eat raw. When you are hungry for a snack, grab a handful of those vegetables and eat those before you dive into a sugary treat.
- INTENTIONAL: Look over your calendar and set a goal to add vegetables to at least one meal (more than you normally do now) each day. Decide what the vegetables will be, get them ready and make sure you have them easy to access for the meals you have determined. Track by calendaring, scheduling, etc. to ensure you follow through.
- ADVANCED: Get creative and experiment! Find vegetables you haven’t tried but would like to. Add spices and seasonings to kick up the flavor. Play around with steaming, sautéing, roasting and other ways of cooking them. Meal prep on the weekend to have these vegetables prepped and ready when you need them.
In the end, the best vegetables for you are the ones you can eat consistently and can have easily prepared and ready to go. People stop focusing when it becomes to difficult.
Weight loss should not be difficult.
If it is difficult for you myself or Coach Vicky are happy to meet with you and get you on a simple habit based plan that will give you success for life, and not make you want to quit again.
On May 8th we are starting a group with a 21 Day Nutrition Kickstart to get us ready for summer! We will cover tips like this and more to set you up for success. Join us, no need to be a member!
Coach Jennifer
ps What is your favorite vegetable?