10 Easy Vegetable Snacks to Have on Hand
We all know (maybe begrudgingly) that we should probably eat more vegetables. Besides containing vital nutrients our bodies need, vegetables (& fruit) contain a little treasure called phytochemicals that are protective to our bodies. Phytochemicals prevent many chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, stroke, and did I mention cancer?!
But sometimes getting enough plants in our diet is hard! We are a rushed society that has been trained to gravitate towards instant gratification. To combat these challenges, we have to do all we can to make eating well convenient. We can intentionally make eating nutrient dense food easy by planning out snacks/meals. One of the best ways to eat more veggies is to simply have some on hand that are pre-washed, chopped, & prepared. Here are some super nutritious snack ideas to make it easier for you to eat and actually enjoy vegetables.
Easy Vegetable Snacks
Carrot Sticks & Dressing
Sparingly use a commercial dressing or make your own here! Simply wash, peel & chop the carrots into sticks. Carrots are an excellent source of beta carotene (helps with eyesight), vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, & biotin.
Edamame & Sea Salt
If you haven’t tried edamame, now is the time. Most people really like it with only sea salt for flavoring. You can find it in most grocery stores, but the best I’ve found is Organic Okami Edamame (found at Costco). Unless your doctor has told you to avoid salt like the plague due to heart conditions or whatever, salt consumption at home is not going to hurt you… it’s the salt found in processed, packaged, & restaurant foods that are killer.
Pre-Made Salad Kit
Like this one (again use commercial dressing sparingly or make your own) and you can either throw out or use the included croutons & chips sparingly. But hey, if this is what you are having for lunch, I’d say go for it. Wayyyy better than takeout.
Frozen Spinach
This is great to add to your smoothies, especially because the taste of spinach is virtually undetectable. Spinach is also a great source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, and riboflavin.
Cherry Tomatoes & Feta Cubes
Tomatoes are technically a fruit but are super nutrient dense. They are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, & potassium. Pair with feta and enjoy!
Broccoli & Parmesan Cheese
To make preparation even easier, you can buy broccoli that is pre-chopped into florets. You can eat raw or steam the broccoli and sprinkle the parmesan on top. I’d recommend fresh parmesan as pre-shredded has a coating on it to preserve freshness and is not as tasty. Broccoli is an awesome source of vitamin C and vitamin K. It also has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying compounds*.
Cauliflower and Tahini Dip
Cauliflower is a great source of vitamin C & vitamin K. Here is a recipe for Tahini to try out. You’d be amazed at how cauliflower transforms once it’s paired with a great dip.
Cucumbers & Hummus
Technically cucumbers are in the berry family (Weird right?), but close enough. You can buy hummus or make your own. Cucumbers are a good source of Vitamin K and water.
Bell Peppers, Cream Cheese & Chili Powder
Technically bell peppers are also a fruit, but they are super great for you and low in sugar. Bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C. Dish a bit of low fat cream cheese on the side and top with a little bit of chili powder.
Sliced Radishes & Guacamole
Whip up some homemade guacamole and dip the radishes like chips. Here’s a recipe for the guac, but honestly you pretty much just need an avocado, garlic salt, and fresh lemons. Everything else is a bonus (in my humble opinion). Radishes are a great source of vitamin C.
I hope this gets your mouth watering. Try some out and let me know how it goes!
Precision Nutrition also has an awesome infographic that walks you through ways to prepare vegetables in order to customize them to your unique tastes and “cushion” them to be more palatable. You can also find more vegetable preparation ideas here - I got a few ideas from this site myself (tbh some looked rather unappealing to me, but several looked really good). I also love Precision Nutrition’s Encyclopedia of Food, you can look up nearly any whole food and learn its nutrient content and how to prepare it.
Happy vegging!
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Sources
The Power of the Phytochemical. Precision Nutrition. (2021, October 29). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/phytochemicals.
Carrots Recipe & Nutrition - precision nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food. Precision Nutrition. (2019, July 4). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/carrots.
Spinach Recipe & Nutrition - precision nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food. Precision Nutrition. (2019, July 4). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/spinach.
* Broccoli Recipe & Nutrition - Precision Nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food. Precision Nutrition. (2019, July 4). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/broccoli.
Cucumber Recipe & Nutrition - Precision Nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food. Precision Nutrition. (2019, July 4). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/cucumber.
Radishes Recipe & Nutrition - Precision Nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food. Precision Nutrition. (2019, July 4). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/radishes.