Picky eaters are not alone. Many of us have difficulty finding a healthy snack or a meal we enjoy and resort to convenience foods that lack essential nutrients. As a result, we do not consume enough nutrition that our body needs to thrive. Here are a few simple ways to shake up your diet, add a little pizzazz to mealtime, find your happy place at the table, and build healthy eating habits.

1. Drink to Your Health

Many selective eaters tend to steer clear of vegetables. So, a good way to slip them into your diet is to blend them into a juice or smoothie. Maybe you hate to admit it, but you’ve never even tried raw carrots. The next time you blend up some fruit juice like mango and orange, try tossing a carrot into the blender. It won’t drastically change the color, so your drink will look just as appetizing. Think about adding veggies into your favorite fruit juice and reap the benefits of all those extra nutrients.

2. Pair Up

One way to add some healthy variety into your diet is to pair something you already love with something new. For example, if you crave grilled cheese sandwiches, try adding in a slice or tomato and onion between the bread. Love to spread plain peanut butter on dry crackers? Next time, consider topping that snack with a thin slice of banana. You might just discover a match made in heaven. Even if you don’t like your first pairing, try again. Exploring healthy snacks for picky eaters can be fun and the possibilities for deliciousness are endless.

3. One a Day

Try adding one new healthy food a day into your diet. This will gradually introduce a variety of better choices. For example, try putting one new healthy food onto your plate at every meal. Think about adding a handful of berries into your plain oatmeal at breakfast. When you have more time for food prep, think about your lunch and dinner options. Do you tend to gravitate toward dishes without a lot of spice? If you love pasta with alfredo sauce, try blending some pureed cauliflower into the sauce to make it thick, creamy, and extra appetizing.

4. Fool Yourself

Consider adding fruits and veggies to ordinary recipes. Adding unsweetened applesauce to pancake batter is a great way to slip some nutrients into a tasty breakfast staple. Also, if you’re feeling adventurous, try folding shredded zucchini into chocolate cake batter for extra moistness. Incorporating nutrient-rich foods into basic recipes can be helpful for those who do not like the look or taste of many fruits and veggies. Fool yourself by cleverly slipping these superfoods into your diet, and you’ll open up a whole new world of healthy food for picky eaters.

5. Get Started & Get Creative

Some of us don’t like variety in our menu, but that doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate a little creativity into our food choices. Ensuring your plate is colorful and attractively arranged is also a great way to whet your appetite for good-for-you foods. All aspects of living a healthy lifestyle play an important role in our well-being. From switching up your workout routine to increasing your intake of nutrients, Z.E.N. Foods is here to help make eating healthier easier.