More Veggies in March Challenge + Giveaway!

Since going paleo last August, I've been learning a ton about my body and what foods work the best for me to set me up for success. I'm coming out of 5 strict weeks of AIP (I've had coffee and chocolate since entering week 6...sigh, another story, another day) and have really come to realize that my health is truly less about what I cut out, and more about what I add in. 

That being said, I'm not ready to dive back in to a Standard American Diet, but I honestly haven't been eating copious amounts of vegetables. I have at least one veggie per meal usually (not always at breakfast though), but I am a far cry from the USDA's recommendation of 2-3 servings a day and even farther from the widely accepted paleo frame work of 5-9 servings a day. Eeep. I truly wonder what my health would be like today had I been eating 9 servings of veggies a day this whole time! 

It's strange though, once you make your own health journey "public", people in similar situations start coming out of the woodwork. I have had countless conversations both in real life and via social media lately with friends with their own health struggles as of late. Struggles ranging from suspected food sensitivities, GI troubles, thyroid issues, extreme fatigue, eczema or dry itchy skin... It's just kinda crazy how all the women I seem to come into contact with in my general age group are all dealing with these things in one way or another and have either under the guide of a doctor or dietician or their own research (thanks, Internet) decided that cutting out various food groups may be the answer they are looking for. 

So I'm neither a doctor, or a dietician but here's what I've gleaned from my own experience: 

1) Sugar ruins us. 

2) Vegetables save us. 

I don't think there's a doctor or a dietician that would argue for sugar or against vegetables (except obviously in allergy situations, but– obviously). 

All that to say, in March I am challenging myself (as part of my monthly goals) to eat more vegetables and I want you to do it with me! Don't give up anything, so if you eat a donut for breakfast every morning keep doing your Krispy Kreme thing but pair it a sweet potato or a green smoothie or something. (Side note: Juicing is kind of a gray area because the fiber is part of what makes vegetables awesome so I recommend eating the actual vegetables and not just drinking them, but again– Not a dietician or doctor, so do you. )

So here's the challenge: 

• Plan your 2-3 (or more!, I'm personally shooting for 5) servings of vegetables a day, raw, cooked, however you like them.
• Eat them all up!
• But, before you eat them– take a picture of them and post on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the tag #moreveggiesinmarch so we can be inspired for meal planning by each other! 
• Follow me (@weareblog) and my friend Lauren (@almostcasual) on Instagram to be entered into an awesome veggie giveaway (you don't have to eat a single green thing to be eligible, just follow us):
• Super cute custom veggie watercolor print by Lauren at Almost Casual 
• Reusable veggie cooler tote
• $20 giftcard to Whole Foods 

Periodically throughout the month I'll be posing on IG and here on my blog to "check in" and see how you're feeling. Is eating veggies breaking the bank? Do you feel any different? Is your family on board? 

And as always, I would love to hear from you on Instagram or in the comments here. 

Happy Veggie Eating!