Load up on veggies, fruits, legumes, whole grains - (7 Reasons Why & 12 Tips How)

The EAT Better Strategy:

1. Build your meals around a healthy protein package
2. Load up on veggies, fruits, legume, and whole grains
3. Balance your meals with healthy fats
4. Avoid ultra-processed foods
5. Only drink the calories you love - learn to love water
6. Stop eating when you are 80% full
7. Go 12 hours without eating

Putting It All Together

Following the first step, "Start with a Healthy Protein Package” your next step in thinking about healthy meals is to load up on veggies, fruits, legumes and whole grains.

I know, this might sound like your mother.  “Eat your veggies - they are really good for you”, but there are some solid reasons why eating more fruits, veggies, legumes and whole grains makes good sense.

Here are 7 reasons why loading up on veggies, fruits, legumes and whole grains makes sense:

1. They taste really good

• Veggies provide an unlimited of flavours and textures - cooked right, they are simply delicious.  Depending on how you classify them, there are 8 or 9 different categories of veggies, hundreds of individual veggies to choose from, many different preparations and infinite combinations.  Combine a bit of kitchen skill with the variety of veggies and you will never be bored.

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2. They fill you up​

• ​Veggies are full of water and fibre, providing your meal volume with minimal calories.   Their bulk triggers stretch receptors in the stomach and intestine to signal satiation, while the fibre slows digestion allowing you to feel full longer.  Being full does more than willpower when it comes to weight loss!

3.  They provide sustained energy

• Food provides the energy we need to live primarily from the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats.  (We eat proteins mainly for growth and repair of our own proteins).  For the most part, veggies, fruits, legumes and whole grains take time to digest, are slowly absorbed and provide sustained energy.  This feeling of sustained energy translates into less hunger, less craving, and less snacking.

4.  Some veggies are essentially free

• Some veggies contain so few calories that the energy required for digestion is almost the same as their energy content.  These veggies provide us with flavour and nutrition and make sense to fill up on.  Some examples: green leafy veggies, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, snap peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts.  Still feeling hungry at dinner - add more veg!

5.  They are loaded with micronutrients 

• Vegetables are excellent sources of micronutrients - vitamins and minerals essential growth and our body’s key key bio functions:  energy production, cellular protection, immunity, inflammation & anti-inflammation, blood clotting, stress response & recovery, bone and muscle strength, neurological health, vision and more.  Veggies are nature’s supplements, so save your money and get your vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients in a package your body is ready for.

6.  They feed our microbiome

• While there are 10 trillion cells in our bodies, we also host approximately 10 times that many microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses) on or inside our bodies.  Bacteria in our gut, not only help us digest food, they also help regulate our immune system, modulate our energy metabolism, including nutrient absorption and fat storage, protect against other bacteria that cause disease, and produce vitamins including B vitamins B12, thiamine and riboflavin, and Vitamin K.  The more we learn about the microbiome, the more evidence there is that feeding them properly - with adequate fibre (at least 30 g per day) - is one of the keys to good health.

7.  And finally they are really good for you 

• Mom was right! Fruits, veggies, legumes and whole grains keep you healthy.  There is overwhelming evidence to support their role in decreasing disease risk and improving health.  Diets rich in fruits and veggies can lower BP, reduce cardiovascular disease, prevent some types of cancer, decrease risk of diabetes, help manage weight, preventing obesity and even help your vision.

Convinced you need to up you improve your game when it comes to veggies, fruits, legumes and whole grains but not sure where to start? 
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Here are 12  quick tips to get you started:

1.  Have a fruit bowl

• ​Place it somewhere you will see it every time you enter the kitchen.  Stock it with the fruit you love - washed and ready to eat.  Do the same with berries in the fridge.  Feeling like something sweet - grab some fruit.

2.  Eat the rainbow

• ​On most days try and eat a variety of different coloured veg - green leafy, yellow, orange, red fruits and veggies, dark beans and legumes.  The more colour the better!

3.  Try new veggies

• ​Every week look to try something new from the green grocer that you can either add to a salad, chop up and snack on, or prepare with your nightly meal.

4.  Load up your freezer with frozen veg

• ​Frozen veg are flash frozen at peak freshness and maintain all of their nutrition - they are also incredibly useful as a fall back when you haven’t got to the grocery store.  Keep several bags of you your favourites - spinach, mixed veg, broccoli, artichoke hearts, etc.)

5.  Double up on veggies with your nightly meal

• ​Add a couple of veg side sides to each meal - pair something familiar with something new - look for new ways to prepare your veg.

6.  Prepare a whole week’s worth of vegetables on the weekend

• ​Wash, clean and chop up your veg in one session - store in the fridge so that dinners are even easier to get on the table when the rush of the week begins.

7.  Substitute raw veggies for crackers or chips

• ​Take some of your chopped veg (carrots, peppers, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) and serve with a healthy and tasty dip - like hummus or baba ghanoush.

8.  Use green leafy veg in place of bread or wraps

• ​Collards, kale, lettuce all can work well.  Not only do you get more greens, you also eliminate some refined carbs!

9.  Up your whole grain game

• ​Ditch the white rice - shift to brown rice, wild rice.  Try other whole grains that deliver their energy more slowly - quinoa, bulgar, spelt, amaranth, and don’t forget oats.  

10.  Eat a salad at every meal

• Be imaginative or keep it simple.  Make having a salad a default option for every meal.

11.  Eat more veggie soup ​

• Always good on a cold afternoon or night. This is a great way to load up on veggies and studies show people eat fewer calories when the eat soup.  Remember to have a healthy protein package - think beans or legumes in the soup.  Thicken with canned pumpkin or squash.

12. Have more plant-based meals

• ​Try some new plant-based recipes - check out some of the recipes on our website: “Recipes We Love"

Need help applying this to your busy life?
Get a personalized nutrition plan to gain clarity and improve your health:
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The  TARGET Nutrition Plan takes a personalized, evidence-based approach to help you make better choices.  Our nutritionists assess what you are currently doing and provide you with a personalized plan (including meal plans).  Everything you need to transform your diet.