Need creative inspiration for how to get more plant-based foods into your daily routine? Creative inspiration, you say? Send some my way! Each week, I’ll feature seven tips I’ve mined from our Health Starts Here™ program to get you from Monday to Sunday with an eye toward a healthier lifestyle.Tip 1: Boost Breakfast with Butters For added protein, add a tablespoon of rich and creamy almond or sunflower seed butter to your smoothie or morning toast. Plus, unsweetened nut and seed butters are a good source of healthy fats.
Tip 2: Revisit Serving Sizes Get to know your fruit and veggie serving sizes: 1/2 cup juice; 1 cup salad greens; 1/2 cup raw, canned or cooked fruit or veggies. And then try to eat nine or more servings per day (it used to be five).
Tip 3: Soup-up Your Soup Add chopped kale, collards, chard or spinach to soups and stews to enhance flavor and to increase the nutrient content for pennies on the dollar.
Tip 4: Add Beans to Pasta Sauce Add whole white beans or garbanzo beans to your pasta sauce. They'll bulk up your sauce, add texture and increase the fiber and protein content of your pasta dinner.
Tip 5: Go Big with Salad Make a big salad the main part of your meal. Try to use a wide range of vegetables in as many colors as possible. Next, add a few ounces of lean protein like flaked salmon, seeds, beans or nuts.
Tip 6: Make Sweet Potatoes on Sunday Dice and roast sweet potatoes on Sunday, then use them all week. Top salads, combine with quinoa and make stuffed peppers, and use with black beans to fill enchiladas.
For more tips, and a series of educational missions to better health – download our Whole Foods Market Missions App opens in a new tab for iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Do you have some creative tips for incorporating more plant-based foods into your daily routine? Let’s hear ‘em!
