Any tips for adding more vegetables to your meals?

Jewel0124

I love veggies but somehow, they don't seem to make into my meals as much as I'd like. Does anyone have any tips for adding more vegetables to meal?

Dandersonjr32

Yeah, add them to every meal?

TankGirl71

Put more of them on your plate?

angelinerstetzko

One of my favorite things is just cutting up and eating raw veggies as a side (or in my case, as a whole meal) and dipping them in a light ranch dressing. Super filling, super healthy and super yummy!

Also - you can also make green smoothies.

The easiest, which is also one of my favorites is:
-2 bananas
-1-2 cups of baby spinach
-water
-ice
blend and enjoy!
You don't even taste the spinach, but it gives you a good dose of greens in your diet!

lizsmith1976

Depends on what types of food you are cooking. I like to pretty much chop up peppers and onions and put them in anything.. Spaghetti sauce for example, finely chopped in ground turkey for turkey burger, sauteed in a small amount of olive oil and then wrapped in corn tortilla. Plus I slice tomato and cucumber for sandwiches. Eating a salad is a great way to get all of the veggies you need, if you chop up veggies in all colors of the rainbow and add them, you should be getting plenty.

I find that almost any dinner recipe can at least have celery added, and usually peppers, onions, mushrooms. Good luck!

dayzeerock

I'm confused by the question. don't you just add them to your plate like you would any other portion of your meal?

ladysandy

Now that sounds so interesting ... hummm need to try this !!! Thanks :flowerforyou:

JamesonsMommy

Just make them more fun instead of mashed potatoes try a cauliflower and a carrot mash (very very tasty) Also last night i tried my first ever turnip. I made them into french fries and they were amazing Going to try to roast them this weekend. The steam bags of veggies are super easy to make.. I sometimes use those for a quick veggie stir fry Another new veggie i tried this week was spaghetti squash.. I mixed the "spaghetti" with a very small amount of pasta for a greek pasta dish and the spaghetti squash really made the meal...

mcottle292

juicer!

wendybird2

Eat Clean! (basically this means eating minimally processed food, mostly made of vegies, lowfat dairy, lean meat, and whole grains).

Throughout the summer I get a bag of fresh seasonal veggies from the local CSA (which supports local farmers), and then I get creative trying to use it before it goes bad. I put veggies in everything. I heat huge salads for lunch. I make a big batch of veggie soup that i snack on all week. I even put spinach in smoothies. I've gotten very good at using every scrap of vegetable before it goes bad! I peruse "eating clean websites", blogs, and Clean Eating magazine. Try some of these:

cleaneatingmag.com
thegraciouspantry.com
eatcleandiet.com
ohsheglows.com
foodformyfamily.com

Also, feel free to check out my food diary for ideas if you want. Good luck!

Melmade

Process them--shred, slice, chop--whatever. Mix them in with your protein. Add shredded veggies--like carrot, slaw mix, etc to your wraps or sandwiches. Throw them in your soups. Blend them with anything. Eat salads. Slice them & layer like lasagna in a casserole pan, add feta & bake. Check out recipes on Skinnytaste.com.

ranhound

I always keep a tupperware container of cut-up veggies in the fridge and my favorite hummous on hand for dipping; a mixture of baby carrots, grape tomatoes, celery, and broccoli. It is handy and the hummous makes it yummy. Mentally it also reminds me of eating french fries and dipping them into ketchup, so it sort of tricks myself into thinking I'm having fast food.

marquesajen

It depends on what you normally make. Try a big salad with chicken and lots of different veggies in it. Stock up on carrots and hummus for snacks. Pick a new vegetable to try once a week perhaps and use it a couple times a week in a different recipe. If you're making pasta, add some cooked spinach to it or a handful of basil leaves. Fruit smoothies with some spinach or cucumber or kale are delicious too and great for breakfast. Try honestfare.com there are many recipes there that are delicious and heavy on vegetables!

ilookthetype

I'd suggest making the change in the grocery store, simply buy more fresh veggies, and they'll probably make their way to your plate. Personally, there are few meals that I enjoy more than roasted veggies on spicy rice.

Asparagus, garlic, onion, sweet potatoes (half baked then thinly sliced), peppers (red, orange, yellow), broccoli, cauliflower, kale; tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with chili powder/cajun spices/paprika/salt, spread on a baking sheet, and baked at 400 for like 10-15 minutes.

OM NOM NOM. I eat an entire pan, no lie, and it's not that many calories...

JENIFER_AZ

roasted portobello mushroom
roasted red pepper
part skim cheese melted on top

YUM!

grassette

Check out the New York Times Recipes for Health: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html?ref=nutrition

More delicious and imaginative ways to prepare and serve veggies than you will find anywhere else!

IF you friend them on FB, you are not limited by the NYT's policy of 20 articles/month, and the new recipes get posted to your page for free!

cdstadt

The biggest tip I have is to wash, cut, and organize all the veggies that can be pre-cut right when you get home from the store. That way you have sticks of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery... etc. whenever you open the fridge door. I eat way more raw veggies for snacks if they're like this than if I have to take out a whole head of something to wash and cut while I'm hungry.

If you use predominately frozen, pop a 1/2 cup of one or two veggies (or veggie mixes) in the microwave and add to any gravy or sauce you might already be having.

Add raw baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach to marinara or cream sauce. Add an extra serving of raw to your sandwiches

Puree things like cauliflower, carrots, and other mild-tasting veggies and add them to soups, marinara, and other sauces.

You can hide raw kale and other dark greens in fruit smoothies. Freeze bananas for smoothies for an ice-creamy/shake texture. Frozen fruit is best for smoothies I think because you don't need ice and the nutrients are more concentrated. Also, flash-frozen things can have more nutrients than fresh-- especially if the fresh stuff you have is a few days old.

If you're getting bored, make it a point to find a fun veggie side dish recipe on the internet for each dinner.

philp68

This is a great recipe, and you can freeze them all and eat as a snack or part of your dinner. Check out the link.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/addictive-sweet-potato-burritos/detail.aspx


You get your protein, small amount of carbs and packed with flavour (high in sodium so reduce the canned beans). If you are looking for quick veggies, buy mixed frozen ones or even fresh green beans, just put them in a pan with a bit of water to cover them, simmer for five minutes covered, sprinkle some seasoning (no salt) and voila tender tasty green beans.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-burgers-2/detail.aspx

This is another fun recipe, takes a bit of time but very delicious....shred the carrots though as they get mushier easier.

scraver2003

Ziplock makes these great bags called Zip 'n' Steam. I stock up on those. Cut up veggies, toss them in the bag and they are ready for the microwave. I bring the bags to work. I do them at home to add extra veggies to a meal. I add spices. Or pepers and onions give things like green beans a mice mix of flavor. Sometimes a teaspoon of sauce or oil/vinegar is great.

Kandace_Riopel

When I make soup I add a can of peas into it makes for a fuller meal and adds veggies. The other things I've tried is I would eat fruit and vegetables from the time I woke up until I had all my servings for the day. Than I would eat other stuff

rbryntes

have veggies instead of starches (rice, potatoes, etc) at meals. Have two veggies if younormally have a veggie and a starch.

chefcarrie

Other than always including one or more with every meal, try adding them to your side dishes, rice, quinoa etc. Makes the starches taste better and you can cut out any oil or butter you use. Also make veggie and fruit salsa to go with your meals - low fat , high nutrition!

ChelseaRW

Eat Clean! (basically this means eating minimally processed food, mostly made of vegies, lowfat dairy, lean meat, and whole grains).

Throughout the summer I get a bag of fresh seasonal veggies from the local CSA (which supports local farmers), and then I get creative trying to use it before it goes bad. I put veggies in everything. I heat huge salads for lunch. I make a big batch of veggie soup that i snack on all week. I even put spinach in smoothies. I've gotten very good at using every scrap of vegetable before it goes bad! I peruse "eating clean websites", blogs, and Clean Eating magazine. Try some of these:

cleaneatingmag.com
thegraciouspantry.com
eatcleandiet.com
ohsheglows.com
foodformyfamily.com

Also, feel free to check out my food diary for ideas if you want. Good luck!

OP-you just gotta choose to do it, soups are an easy way to get them in, and the above post was wonderful! I just started attemping clean eating and appreciate these sites as well. They really give creative recipes for veggies!

Sparksfly

I blend raw spinach into my protein shakes.

Can't even taste it!

courtclerkkris

Adding veggies is easy. Fill some celery with natural peanut butter and you have a great healthy protein and veggie. Throw some green, red or yellow peppers, spinach, onion, in with your eggs in the morning--yumm yumm. Layer some spinach in your lasagana when you make it. Throw some peppers and onions in your skillet and saute before adding spaghetti sauce. Top a sandwich with spinach instead of iceburg lettuce. Roasted veggies are VERY delicious. About any veggie can be thrown into a soup when making it. Sliced avocado is great on a burger or sandwich. Cauliflower can easily be substituted for potatoes and now can be substituted for pizza crust! I always have fresh, washed and cut veggies in the fridge and can throw together a small side salad to add to a meal at the drop of a hat. There are tons of ways these are just the ones that come to my mind at this very moment.

genxrider

I always keep a tupperware container of cut-up veggies in the fridge and my favorite hummous on hand for dipping; a mixture of baby carrots, grape tomatoes, celery, and broccoli. It is handy and the hummous makes it yummy. Mentally it also reminds me of eating french fries and dipping them into ketchup, so it sort of tricks myself into thinking I'm having fast food.

This.

JamesonsMommy

The biggest tip I have is to wash, cut, and organize all the veggies that can be pre-cut right when you get home from the store. That way you have sticks of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery... etc. whenever you open the fridge door. I eat way more raw veggies for snacks if they're like this than if I have to take out a whole head of something to wash and cut while I'm hungry.

If you use predominately frozen, pop a 1/2 cup of one or two veggies (or veggie mixes) in the microwave and add to any gravy or sauce you might already be having.

Add raw baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach to marinara or cream sauce. Add an extra serving of raw to your sandwiches

Puree things like cauliflower, carrots, and other mild-tasting veggies and add them to soups, marinara, and other sauces.

You can hide raw kale and other dark greens in fruit smoothies. Freeze bananas for smoothies for an ice-creamy/shake texture. Frozen fruit is best for smoothies I think because you don't need ice and the nutrients are more concentrated. Also, flash-frozen things can have more nutrients than fresh-- especially if the fresh stuff you have is a few days old.

If you're getting bored, make it a point to find a fun veggie side dish recipe on the internet for each dinner.

I always find myself snacking more on the weekends so I always make sure i have all kinds of washed, chopped veggies n hand I HATE baby carrots and pre packaged veggies so I peel everything and my "little helper" washes them again for me.. lol I love raw veggies

wanderlust3

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