Okay, pretty much everyone on the planet knows that you’re supposed to eat 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, right? They teach that one even in elementary school. What I’ve discovered for myself along the way is that the more vegetables I eat, the better I feel and the more the scale moves in the direction that I want it to go. As much as I love fruit, I find it’s best that I limit it to 2 servings daily because the sugar in fruit makes crave more sweet foods and that can be dangerous! Limiting fruits to 2 servings means I need at least 5 servings of vegetables each day. If I eat 2 of those at lunch and 2 more at dinner, it means I need at least one more serving at some point. What I discovered is that breakfast is a great time to get a jump start on getting those veggies in.
I know it sounds strange, but it’s true. The breakfast of my old self was usually something like a frozen turkey sausage breakfast burrito heated in the microwave with my morning coffee. Today, it’s more likely to be two eggs over easy on a bed of mixed greens and a side of sauteed bell peppers, or a cup of quinoa with sauteed tomatoes, zucchini and squash. I’ve discovered that all these veggies help me feel full longer throughout the day. Plus, starting my day off with such an awesome breakfast sets me up for success—knowing that I started my day in such a healthy manner inspires me to keep going this way. Good decisions beget good decisions, beget more good decisions. When you begin healthy, you want to end healthy.
If you’re wondering how to add more veggies to your early morning life, check out these ideas: Add peppers, spinach, tomatoes, onions, or other favorite veggies to your scrambled eggs. Throw some avocado and mixed greens on your toast. Or, make it sweet! Sweet potatoes make a great start to breakfast. I love to pair them with just about anything from eggs to mixed greens to broccoli and kale. You could also make a veggie frittata ahead of time at the start of the week to keep in the fridge for breakfasts over the following days. Here’s a great recipe for that: Awesome Breakfast Casserole.
It doesn’t have to be rocket science, it’s just another small change. So grab that handful of veggies and toss ’em in those eggs. Eat and enjoy!
