You’ve got cucumbers, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans…

Fats. Carbohydrates. Protein.

Everybody’s three favorite macronutrients. They make up our calories, and are primarily our focus when it comes to structuring a diet.

But the goal is to lose body fat, right? Stay lean, stay muscular. Name of the game.

If that’s the case, then calories in vs. calories out needs to be priority #1. So, eating less and working out more — to put it bluntly and outdated-ly — has to be the topic of New Year’s resolutions.

However, what if I told you (cue Laurence Fishburne Matrix meme) you could roughly eat the same amount of food, work out like you normally do, and crush your goals?

Sounds psycho, yeah?

Caloric density is where the hack begins…

Caloric density is how many calories are packed in a specific measurement of food. For instance, a gram of chicken breast compared to a gram of spinach.

This is where we get to the “meat” of this article, which is quite the opposite:

Vegetables are not calorically dense, which means you can go nuts on veggies!

(Mostly) built by plants!

Weirdos rejoice! You can indulge in that cauliflower without worrying about wrecking your midsection…. For those who didn’t grow up in a cabbage patch and love raw broccoli, this is probably old news we deliberately ignored.

Well, ignore it no more. Eating more vegetables might be the trick to solid fat loss and more energy. Plus, when we consume a ton of plants, we leapfrog the macros and get our necessary micronutrients; vitamins and minerals play a huge part in how we feel, how are bodies react to certain stimuli, and how alive you feel.

Hmm…

• You can “all-you-can-eat buffet” on veggies and not get fat…
• They give you natural energy and help you recover from anything…
• They’re cheaper than other sources of food (normally)…
• They keep you healthy and free from degenerative diseases…
• They fill you up and aid you in the calories-in/calories-out battle…

I call that a win-win-win-win-win!

Now the hard part: Action!

How the hell do you include more vegetables in your diet? Thankfully, today’s society is shifting to help you out.

You see, with all of the documentaries, studies, and nutritionists clamoring for a plant-based diet, the food industry has taken notice and are doing two things: Fighting change and embracing it.

That second one benefits you. Restaurants are putting vegan and vegetarian options front and center, cafes are offering multiple alternatives for dairy milk, and the grocery stores across America have always been set up for ease.

Here’s how you can set up your environment for a veggie onslaught:

1. Throw out your overly-processed junk food. It’s shit anyway, so why fill your body with garbage? If you want treats during your switch to veggies, go as natural as possible — use honey or maple syrup for sugar, sea salt or pink salt for savory.
2. When you go to your local grocer, stay out of the middle. The shelves and bins on the outside areas of the store are your bread and butter, so to speak. Also, most stores have fruits and veggies at the beginning, so stock up until your cart is overflowing. You won’t be able to sneak Nabisco and Fritos anywhere!
3. When going out, find the menu item with the most veggies that sounds delicious to you. The latter part of that sentence is key. If you order a salad with terrible dressing, what’s the point of eating? Let’s say tonight a chicken parm catches your eye; sub the side for steamed veggies and you’re golden. The point is, add veggies anytime you can.
4. Make vegetables the star of the (dinner) show. Why was animal protein ever the main part of a meal back in the day? Fill your plate with greens — like your shopping cart — and you won’t have the room to add other crappy options. Then, when you’re done and ready for dessert, make sure you’re truly full; it minimizes the amount of sugary sweets you consume.
5. Make ’em good! Seasonings, natural, homemade dressings and sauces, fried or sautéed or steamed…get creative. Look for awesome recipes, add your own kick or pow. Eating more veggies has always had a bad rap because it sounds unappetizing. Why should it be? Make it delicious af and eat those greens!

It’s tough, but only if we allow it to be.

Think about what this means. We could all easily eat more veggies. But it’s easier to go for the fries. It’s easier to grab microwave dinners and eat peanut butter straight from the jar. It’s easier to let “veggies don’t taste good” be an acceptable excuse.

But…

If we don’t allow it to be difficult, if we only buy plant-based, if we train our brain to go for those greens, if we make vegetables the norm and everything else the exception, then it isn’t so bad.

It’s such a simple way to make your body feel and look better. A no-brainer almost, but at the start you’ll have to use some of that brain power. Nothing worth it is ever a walk in the park. (Although, walks in the park are great for you, but that’s for another time.) However, once it’s ingrained and a habit, game over, you win!

Now make a vegetarian dinner for tonight. For ya boy Jake.

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J. D. Lyda is the most passionate health and fitness writer in the world. Check out his site to see how he creates engaging articles and kickass social media. Feel free to contact J. D. Lyda to see if he can rep out consistent, quality content for you. Follow him on Instagram for his personal fitness and nutrition.