It probably won’t surprise you, but most of us are living life with a vegetable deficit. The food pyramid tells us that we should have 5–7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. We might be getting enough of those two types of foods combined, but the reality is not enough of our servings are vegetables. If we are honest with ourselves, we would rather eat 5–7 servings of fruits, and so would our kids. Instead we should be eating more vegetables than fruits. Vegetables carry a lot more nutrient density (especially leafy green ones) and less sugar.
So how many vegetables should we be eating in a given day? Ready for it? 5–7 vegetable servings is the sweet spot. We should be having 1 or 2 servings of fruit instead of more than 5. How in the world can we get 5–7 servings of vegetables in our day? The answer is breakfast. It sounds strange to most of us because we are used to waking up, having a bowl of cereal and a piece of fruit, then moving on with our day. Instead, if we considered changing our routine, we might actually find we start the best part of our day with a lot more focus and energy.
Today as I was making breakfast for my family, it donned on me that there is one vegetable that is an easy one to add to your morning routine. Zucchini. I love zucchini because it’s easy to prepare and easy to cook up. You can slice or dice it. You can roast it in the oven or simply throw it on a skillet with a little olive oil. We actually like adding it to our scrambled eggs or simply as a side to our biscuits (I’ll share our biscuit story tomorrow).
The best part about zucchini is it’s low in sugar and carbohydrates, high in Vitamin C, Folate, and Vitamin B6. Not only are these great nutrients that your body needs, but often we are deficient in Folate and Vitamin B6 anyway. So why not get these nutrients in our food instead of a supplement? Right now it’s peak growing season for zucchini, so find some from your local farmer and add it to your plate.
When we consider adding vegetables to our daily meals, we often think only of lunch and dinner. Maybe it’s time to open up your thinking to adding vegetables to your breakfast table. You won’t be disappointed in the change it can bring. Are you ready to stop living life with a vegetable deficit? I am.