Why a green diet is important and how to pack more greens into your meals

Did you know it’s National Vegetarian Week, and if you have not already, this weekend is the perfect time to give vegetarian food a go, you’ll still be making a real difference.

We’re sure the phrase ‘eat your greens’ rang around your household as a child. Maybe you tell your own children to eat their greens, but don’t manage to incorporate enough of them into your own meals? But eating your greens is one of the easiest ways to keep your mind and body healthy.

You just can’t beat the greens for their all-round goodness. From a nutritional perspective, greens are a source of potassium, iron, calcium, manganese, Vitamin C and B-vitamins such as folate and B6 – simply put, they’re a nutritional powerhouse.

Boiling or steaming veggies is great – but sometimes this can seem boring and bland.

Try this today: Here are some super simple ways to get creative with your greens:

1. Drink them
Throw some spinach, kale or avocado into a breakfast smoothie and start your morning off with plant power.

2. Blend them
Soups are a really easy way to use up any leftover greens and taste delicious too.

3. Crisp them
Make kale crisps by drizzling with oil, lemon juice and salt, and baking them in a hot oven for 15 minutes – the perfect healthy snack on-the-go.

4. Bake them
We’ve all heard of carrot cake, but did you know that you can use other vegetables to make some sweet and tasty treats? Courgette and lime cake is a modern classic, whilst avocado brownies have taken the internet by storm.

Eating your greens is a vital part of eating well. Providing you with different vitamins, minerals and nutrients, you’re doing your body a favour by fuelling it with more natural foods. Start adding more greens to your diet today to experience their health benefits, inside and out.

*Of course, always be mindful of any allergies you might have when changing your diet and aim to start off with smaller changes when you are trying out something new.

How a green diet can also help the health of our planet

Not only does eating more vegetables improve your health and wellbeing, it also helps the health of our planet.

There is so much to be said about climate change but there is one simple thing you can do to make a difference: eat more plant-based foods.

Research has suggested that we should be eating 30% less meat by 2030. This can be achieved by having just two meat-free days a week.

Choosing more vegetarian food is one of the best things we can all do for the planet.

80% of consumers had at least some awareness of the connection between food choice and the environment.