March is National Nutrition Month, and this month’s theme “Beyond the Table” creates a beautiful opportunity to highlight simple habits and behaviors anyone can do to support their overall health. This month-long focus on good nutrition brings awareness to how we eat at home, on the go, in schools, at restaurants, and events. Since so many of us find our time fractured, I wanted to outline the simplest ways for you to eat “Beyond the Table”.

As a nutritionist, I am often asked about the “one” thing people can do to improve their health. While there are many variables that impact health, increasing produce consumption remains at the top of my list. Variety is key, since no single vegetable or fruit contains all the nutrients required to meet one’s needs.

• The Challenge: planning and prepping to include more produce can feel overwhelming especially if prepping for on-the-go food.
• The Action: creating a weekly menu (even if it’s just for 3 generous meals/snacks) and having ingredients in your pantry/refrigerator ready to work.
• The Reward: adding more produce can improve your GI and eye health, lower cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure, while protecting against cancer and improving weight.

Given the many benefits of including more fruits and vegetables in the diet, the investment in eating more produce will soon pay off as you reap the rewards. Most notable, after counseling hundreds of clients to increase fruits and vegetables, I’ve never heard anyone say, “since adding more produce, I feel so much worse.” In fact, the opposite is a regular proclamation! Try starting with one additional serving of produce every week.  I hope one of the ideas below inspires you to “Eat Beyond the Table.”

1. Try a green juice. 4 oz of 100% vegetable juice is one full serving of produce. Make your own with organic produce, or opt for a commercial product, but please make sure you find one made with organic ingredients. Either way, consider freezing excess in an ice cube tray to maintain nutrient density. Recipe inspiration: Leafy greens, cucumber, celery, fresh ginger, lime juice, and parsley.
2. Make a veggie omelet or garden scramble. Keep this easy: at dinner time, roast extra broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, and onions (or other favorite vegetable). Roughly chop any leftovers before you store them in the fridge. The next morning, the vegetables are ready to be added to a garden scramble or folded into an omelet. Either way, top with a few slices of avocado and enjoy.
3. Add 1 cup frozen organic cauliflower rice to a smoothie. Aside from providing 2 servings of vegetables, raw frozen cauliflower has the added benefit of supporting the body’s detoxification processes. Include a serving of fruit, such as ½ cup pineapple or berries, a few tablespoons of coconut milk, a small piece of ginger, some ice and protein powder of choice, and you have a meal or snack that can go the distance!
4. Have a salad before every meal. The fiber in leafy greens or raw produce can help you feel more satisfied, but the fiber is also known to support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. For more crunch and variety of textures and flavor, explore beyond the leaf. Try sliced radishes and cucumbers, shredded fennel, avocado cubes, shaved red onion, grated carrot, toasted walnuts, and/or chopped parsley. Toss veggies with dressing made from smashed garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
5. Use lettuce leaves instead of tortillas to make a wrap. Try sturdier collard greens, larger Swiss chard or Romaine lettuce. You might need a few leaves stacked on one another, but these make the perfect holder for your favorite filling. Try taco meat, chicken salad, egg salad, or salmon salad.
6. Dip watermelon radish, kohlrabi or jicama in hummus or guacamole. Don’t be afraid to prep extra as these sturdy vegetables will remain crisp in the refrigerator for several days, making snack time a snap. Don’t have time to prep? Look for prepared broccoli, cherry tomatoes, celery/carrot sticks, cucumber slices, etc. at your local grocer and stock up for the week.
7. Swap pasta noodles with spaghetti squash or spiralized zucchini. Both are perfect for a quick low carb weeknight dinner paired with sauteed ground turkey and organic tomato sauce.
8. No time for lunch? Try a can of healthy soup! Amy’s lentil soup is a great example, and even better if you add a few handfuls of baby spinach and leftover roasted vegetables. Serve with quality deli meat rolled around an avocado slice and enjoy fast food without the guilt.
9. Use frozen veggies for a quick stir-fry. Frozen organic peppers, onions, broccoli, and mushrooms hold up great and can be sauteed with chicken, beef, or shrimp to make a satisfying stir-fry. Serve over frozen and heated cauliflower rice. No time for a sauce? Try a high-quality premade sauce such as Primal Kitchen Teriyaki Sauce and dinner can be finished in minutes.