By Jeni Tackett, Diet Blogger, Let’s Move Quad Cities and Rock Valley PT

If you have your own garden, know someone who does, or you head to the farmer’s market, wintertime is tough, when it comes finding good fresh vegetables.

But take heart! You don’t have to let your diet to suffer from lack of nutrients found in fresh produce.

A plant-based diet is important for your health (think fiber, vitamins, and minerals) and your waistline (low calorie).

Here are 3 ways to add those all-important veggies:

SOUPS

Soups hit the spot in the cold winter months!

You can use leftover produce in a soul-warming and satisfying vegetable soup.

Be careful with recipes that include high sodium broth and bouillon cubes. You can always substitute low sodium broth or bouillon or use low sodium V8 juice in tomato based soups.

Increasing sodium in the diet can lead to fluid retention and cause problems for individuals with high blood pressure or heart failure.

Healthy soup recipes:

https://www.pritikin.com/healthy-recipes/low-sodium-soups

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/18219/soup/vegetable/

FROZEN VEGETABLES

Frozen vegetables are another option for increasing vegetable consumption in the winter.

Steam-fresh frozen vegetables are easy to prepare (5 minutes in the microwave).

You should fill half of your plate with vegetables, which is easy to do with steam-fresh veggies.

You can really bulk up on nutrients and fiber by steaming vegetables at lunch or dinner!

SMOOTHIES

Smoothies are an easy way to add greens into your diet.

Adding kale or spinach to your smoothie adds nutrients such as magnesium, folic acid, and potassium. And you (and your kids) won’t notice the taste!

Be careful of smoothie recipes that have added sugar and juice. Stick with smoothies sweetened with natural sugars from fruit or milk.

Healthy smoothie recipes:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/20153/low-calorie/drinks/smoothies/

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/low-calorie-smoothies

Meet Jeni Tackett, Let’s Move Quad Cities Nutrition Blogger. Jeni is a registered and licensed dietitian for Rock Valley Health. Jeni counsels her clients on weight loss and nutrition. You can read Jeni’s bio and other blog posts by clicking here.