How to Eat Enough Veggies without any Prep

The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD.

Do you eat enough vegetables?

In my 22 years as a dietitian, I can confidently say that most people don’t. Common reasons for falling short are lack of time to prepare vegetables and taste preference (i.e., you just don’t like them!)

What exactly does “enough” vegetables mean? Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to eat a wheelbarrow full! You can get there by incorporating a healthy serving of vegetables (1-2 cups) into two of your meals every day. Of course, you can always eat more if you’d like!

When all else fails, remember the first two Fx Pillars:

• Pillar 1: Eat your greens, as many as you can every day
• Pillar 2: Eat the rainbow, at least one fruit and two vegetables every day

Let Heinen’s pre-made produce items help you!

If time is one of your barriers, you can breathe a sigh of relief because Heinen’s Produce Department has you covered with a wide variety of precut, recipe ready vegetables for snacking and adding to your favorite summer recipes.

Below are some of my personal produce timesavers with delicious meal ideas to have you craving veggies in no time!

• Precut celery sticks
• Precut carrot sticks
• Pre-sliced peppers
• Colored cauliflower florets
• Precut jicama sticks

Snack Idea: Line up seven 16 oz. Mason jars and fill each with a variety of your favorite raw veggies, like my favorite above. Grab one for a snack and enjoy dipped in Hope Hummus or Heinen’s freshly ground almond butter!

Heinen’s Spiralized Zucchini

• Add raw to a salad.
• Stir-fry for a few minutes and serve with your favorite sauce.
• Whip up this 10-minute Zoodles Primavera, a light alternative to heavy pasta dishes that’s perfect for summer.

Heinen’s Shredded Brussels Sprouts

• Drizzle with avocado oil, then roast at 425°F for 20-25 minutes and serve as a side dish.
• For a refreshing salad, combine raw shredded Brussels sprouts with sliced apple, almonds and red onions. Dress with Bragg or Primal Kitchen salad dressing.
• Add to rice dishes, like this Wild Rice Pilaf.

Heinen’s Shredded Cabbage and Carrots Coleslaw Mix

• Make this crunchy Fx-approved, Mayo-Free Coleslaw for your next barbecue.
• Save time when preparing this tasty Plant-Powered Egg Roll in a Bowl.

Heinen’s Veggie Kabobs

• Grill up these ready-made kabobs and drizzle with SoCo Tahini, an unforgettable Fx-approved dressing made from only one ingredient—sesame seeds!

Key Takeaway

It’s important to have a “plan B” in place if time is a barrier to meeting your daily veggie goals. Let Heinen’s do the work for you! It’s worth reserving a small portion of your food budget for pre-cut veggies and fruit so that you can enjoy the benefits of Mother Nature’s most powerful medicine.