#2: Healthy Plate Method – Fill your plate with color

So often when we think about eating healthier or getting to a healthier weight or lowering blood sugars so much we hear is “cut back on this” or “eat less of that”.  There is a category of foods we all need to focus on eating MORE of! That category of foods is non-starchy vegetables.  In the healthy plate planning method we are shooting for filling HALF of your plate with non-starchy vegetables.Non starchy vegetables have much lower carb content than starchy vegetables (think potatoes, corn, beans, etc), have a ton of inflammation and disease fighting vitamins and minerals and fiber, and are very low in calories.  So what are some examples of non-starchy vegetables?? ·         Broccoli·         cauliflower·         green beans·         peppers·         spinach ·         kale·         asparagus·         cabbage·         cucumbers and so many more, click the link below for a full detailed listThe dietary guidelines for Americans recommends we get 2.5 cups of vegetables per day, but in this situation the more the better!  A serving is considered 1 cup raw vegetables or ½ cup cooked vegetables. My top 10 tips and tricks for increasing your intake of non-starchy vegetables are:1. Stack sandwiches high with veggies.2. Veggies as an appetizer 3. Mix cooked veggies into your scrambled eggs/omelets or potatoes 4. Buy fresh raw veggies for snacking.5.  Mix cooked chopped veggies into any starch-based side dish.6. Try veggie-based recipe swaps. 7. Mix chopped veggies into meats like hamburgers, meatballs, or meatloaf.  8. Add veggies to your pizza.9. Experiment with new veggies. 10. Try roasting veggies! Or any new way to cook vegetables. Tune into our podcast episode on Non-Starchy Vegetables for more information on these 10 tips and tricks and more ways to increase your non-starchy vegetable intake to make your plate a healthier one!Non-starchy vegetable list15 ways to increase veggie intake hand out from websiteHow to cook veggies handout from website Host Bio: Lauren Hocking, RD, CD is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist serving veterans out of the Vincennes, Indiana CBOC within in the Marion VA Healthcare System.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and went on to complete her Dietetic Internship at the Memphis VA Medical Center in Memphis, TN.  She has been at the VA over 8 years where she covers PACT clinics at Vincennes in addition to Home Based Primary Care. She assists our nations heroes make strides toward living a healthier life by helping them make lifestyle changes while taking it one step at a time.