28-Day Eat More Vegetables Challenge

Need to eat more vegetables – but find it a struggle?

Perhaps you’ve been advised to eat more vegetables to improve your health?

Or discovered that increasing specific vegetables could improve your symptoms?

Maybe you want to do a cleanse by increasing vegetables and reducing junk foods that have crept in your diet?

There are many benefits associated with eating more vegetables, and the only way to find out if doing this could benefit you, is to try it and track your results.

Yet for many people trying to eat more vegetables can feel like a chore, punishment and too much effort!

Whatever your reason, why not join us for 28 days of eating more vegetables challenge to experience the benefits for yourself?

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The 28-day Eat More Vegetables Challenge is a fun way to get you started and keep you inspired!

As always MakeSelfcareSimple is here to help you decide for yourself, through completing a gentle challenge, if eating more vegetables is something that improves your wellbeing or not. No judgement here.

Each of us is unique – there is no one right way.

If you have been advised or found that avoiding vegetables is best for your wellbeing – then always do what works best for your individual situation. Simply move on to another selfcare challenge that is a better fit for you.

Ready to explore the 28-day eat more vegetables challenge? Let’s dive in!

The 28-Day Eat More Vegetable challenge

The aim of this challenge is to increase the vegetable portion in your daily meals for 28-consecutive-days to see what improvements you notice.

Another aim of this challenge is to discover creative and simple ways to include vegetables in your daily meals.

You can start the challenge any day that suits you and follow for the next 28-days. However you might like to give yourself a few days to get prepared before you start.

This challenge is in 2 parts –  start by reading this challenge section before checking out 25 creative ways to add more vegetables to your meals.

How to do the challenge

I don’t include white potatoes (chips, jacket, mash or new) as part of my vegetables – they can always be included in the other portion of the meal. And I do include frozen vegetables.

The specific goal is that vegetables make up over 51% or over, of your lunch and dinner meals. Every single day for 28 days.

51% is easy to see on the plate!

If 51% is too big a jump for your body, then set your own challenge, that is doable but still increases the amount of vegetables you eat. Perhaps you need to include more specific vegetables everyday to determine if they improve an area of your wellbeing.

On the other hand, perhaps you wish to perform a mild cleanse and wish to consume more raw fresh salads, more organic veggies or to only eat seasonally.

This is your challenge and you can adapt and repeat it as many times as you like. Always speak to your professional health provider first if you have any questions or concerns.

The aim of the challenge is to see if you notice any improvements to your wellbeing after 28 days of eating more vegetables.

Questions to ask yourself before you begin this challenge

Answering these questions can help you complete your ‘before’ and ‘after’ assessments. 

• What % of your lunch and dinner was made up of vegetables over the last 28 days?
• What results do you hope to experience by trying the eat-more-vegetables challenge?
• What might make this challenge difficult for you? How do you plan to overcome this?
• What are your current symptoms – date and score each of them. Find out more.
• How responsive to change is your body? Find out why this is important.

Why do you struggle to eat more vegetables?

After years of working with many clients, I found that everyone has a few habits they struggle to change. These struggles around making chaanges, are normal when you want to make improvements. The fastest way to see results is to own and overcome yours.

Here are some common reasons why you might struggle to eat more vegetables.

• Vegetables feel boring, or don’t taste great to you. 
• You don’t have enough time to spend exploring new ways to cook.
• You have to factor in other family members’ preferences at meal times..
• You don’t like cooking, or your health makes it difficult, and prefer take-out and ready meals.

It’s helpful to identify why you might struggle before you start, so you can put some support in place.

Keep reading for some support ideas.

Sometimes the biggest struggle is simply making changes and doing things differently, we all get stuck in the rut of old habits that don’t always serve us.

What do you need to prepare ahead of time?

Ideally you need to stock up on vegetables that you know you like, and perhaps some that are new to you.

Here are a few different ways to stock up on vegetables.

• Regular supermarket
• Organic in season
• Farmers markets
• Veggie box schemes
• Home grown
• Fresh in season
• Frozen
• Ready prepared vegetable mixes such as stir fry or casserole mix
• Ready prepared salads

Plan your eat more vegetable challenge

I always like to start easy.

List all the vegetables you know you enjoy that you can buy either fresh or frozen.

Pick meal ideas that you know you enjoy, and start by adding more vegetables from your list, to those meals.

Then slowly start exploring new ideas of how to include more vegetables (see below)

Stay open-minded and have a grab and go back-up plan like a veggie soup or side-salad you can easily add last minute.

Another way you can make life easier is to have some frozen and ready prepared vegetables.

Batch cooking and freezing leftovers is now part of my weekly routine, to make life easier.

OK let’s look at some ways to support any struggles you might face.

I don’t have enough time

I hear you! This has always been my biggest struggle especially when working long hours and suffering with chronic fatigue. It’s not just all the peeling and chopping, but all the clear-up afterwards that all takes time!

I plan to expand a lot more on this topic – but for now please explore the following ideas.

• Have leftover dinner for lunch or next day or freeze extra portions.
•  Have one or two Prep sessions a week – there is so much you can make ahead of time.
• Make use of frozen and prepared vegetables. Salad, stir-fry, and casserole packs are found in larger supermarkets
• Prepare your vegetables after shopping and store in the fridge ready to use.
•  Cook in batches. Prep the meat/protein/grain portion for the week first. Then come back and sauté vegetables. Then come back and prepare salads and dips to store in the fridge.

I don’t enjoy cooking

Sometimes cooking can feel like another chore that has to be done. Cooking and prep can be difficult when you are in pain, have mobility issues or are exhausted.

Here are some ideas I have tried.

• Make use of the many gadgets available to protect hands and save time. 
• Transform preparing meals from a chore to ‘me-time’ – listen to music, podcasts or audio books.
• Get a stool and perch if standing is painful.
• Don’t stand for too long in one position – do a 2-minute march, stretch etc.
•  Cook with a friend! If not in person perhaps you can video chat together?
• Order meals with plenty of vegetables that are ready-prepared-for-you
• Take it in turns to cook for each other.

Vegetables are Boring

If eating more vegetables could improve your health and wellbeing, it would be a shame if it felt like punishment! I know if faced with half a plate of brussel sprouts twice a day was my solution I would soon give up.

The easiest solution is to hide vegetables in meals that you already enjoy.

I have put together 25 different ways to hide vegetables and found creative recipes from food bloggers.

Use this list as inspiration, and adapt to your preferences and needs.

I’ve put together a list for you HERE

After you complete the Challenge

How did you get on? Every self care challenge you explore teaches you more about your body and wellbeing. Overcoming challenges adds confidence in yourself.

Once you finish the challenge you need to decide if eating more vegetables for 28-days made a positive difference to your wellbeing.

The only way to know for sure, is to go back to your ‘Before’ feedback scores and record what has changed.

Don’t forget to factor in how responsive your body is,  perhaps your body needs longer before you notice a difference?

Did eating more vegetables make a positive difference for you? I’d love to hear!

Don’t forget you can join my free newsletter and join me as I complete the challenges alongside you (and discover your FREE Selfcare Archetype Guide & Self-Care Starter Toolkit) HERE