Through a partnership with the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, we recruited bloggers to participate in the Green Giant Veg Pledge. The program challenged bloggers to pledge to eat at least one additional cup of vegetables every day for two weeks. New dietary guidelines recommend that Americans fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables at each meal, but we find it difficult to always make the healthy choice.

VOW TO EAT MORE VEGETABLES

From adding more vegetables to their morning egg dishes to choosing veggie-based snacks to packing in the greens at dinnertime, the Veg Pledge bloggers came up with various plans of attack for eating more vegetables every day.

Ashley of A Healthy, Happier Bear said, “My goal is to try one or two new vegetable side dishes which I can make one night and enjoy for two to three nights following.”

Michelle of The Village Cook even roped her whole family into the pledge! “Even if your family isn’t big on a side of veggies, there’s lots of ways to incorporate more veggies in their diets,” Michelle says. “Vegetable lasagna, veggie burgers, stir-fry, soups and stews, and chili (try adding diced butternut squash and carrots). Zucchini is awesome diced up in pasta sauce, and shredded carrots go nicely mixed in meat loaf.”

HOW THE BLOGGERS FARED

The Cooking’s Good blogger reported: “Honestly, it wasn’t that difficult to do: Add a cup of spinach to your salad, or sauté some up with a little garlic and oil—delicious. There are so many varieties of leafy greens to chose from.”    

Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers followed suit, tossing wilted fresh spinach into her pasta. She reported adding veggies and cheese to a whole-wheat tortilla for a quick quesadilla, which she calls “a major victory in the snacking department when it came to my vegetable consumption!” 

“Lucky for me, the Green Giant Veg Pledge did in fact spur me on to fit more vegetables into my diet,” says Krista of Budget Gourmet Mom. “Did I get the full cup I was aiming for every day? No. Did I make a more conscious choice to add veggies where I could? Yes.”

After the two-week challenge ended, Sprint 2 the Table’s blogger reported, “At first I was sad, and then I realized: I’ll still eat a plant-based diet. I’ll probably even keep making an effort to have at least one veggie serving at every meal (breakfast included).”

The Peas & Crayons blogger says: “Veg Pledging it up has challenged me to seek out more veggies, more variety and, ultimately, more nutrients! I feel absolutely amazing and plan on keeping this veggie streak alive.”

ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

Simply make room for one additional cup of vegetables every day for the next two weeks. One cup can’t be too hard, right? Let us know how it goes!

Photo Credit: Michelle Keith/thevillagecook.com