how do you make your veggies...

iamkarent

Lately I have been trying to eat more veggies, to make the calories go further and...just to be more healthy..

Well..I like roasted veggies...easy to toss them in the oven and come back later to a nice plateful to enjoy..

However...what I have been doing is cutting up a couple cups of brussel sprouts, cup of carrots, some onions and whatever random things I have around...toss in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and various seasonings and pop the open pan in the oven to roast.. then I have one serving for lunch and another to stick in the fridge for later...

Is there a better way to cut down the calories of all that oil? Roasting in foil or such..how much oil do you use?

Or other ideas for easy ways to prep them....I guess a steamer..

What do you do as your fave veggies?

dantrick

im interested in this also, i been just buying steamers.

skinnyforhi

I just steam mine and flavor them with fresh herbs or cayenne--something that packs a punch to make up for not using oil. A small drizzle of oil after steaming probably wouldn't be the end of the world though!

You can also "healthy saute" by cooking your veggies in a little chicken broth in a saute pan with a lid. You don't have to fill the pan with broth, just an inch or so to create some steam when you put the lid on and add some flavor to your veggies.

Hope this helps!

AmyJMadison

Has anynoe tried an oil spritzer? I understand you can really cut back on the amount you use with those. Where you would use a tablespoon or more if you dribble with the spritzer you use about 1/2 teaspoon.... any coaching on those? Are they worth it?

I like steaming or microwave too... uber fast and no pan to clean up. Just a drizzle of water and a cling wrap cover and poof. I love butter sprinkles and other flavored zero cal sprinklees too.

iamkarent

As I typed I pretty much answered my own post...I remembered I used to make a lot in my steamer. I had gotten one a couple years ago when I had been trying this before....that was a double layer..so you could separate things...

Very easy to pop some veggies in...stick some seasoning on...click the timer to 20 mins(or whatever you need) and come back to some easy veggies...AND no OIL!!!

Also easy to put some fish in the bottom layer for some fast lunch...

DUH.....time to break that back out...

laserturkey

When I roast veggies I usually use about 1/2 of the oil the recipe calls for. You might try experimenting to see how little oil you can get away with.

oven-roasted Brussels sprouts!

taso42

you can steam them.

but roasting with a little olive oil like you've been doing seems perfectly reasonable.

Cyngen

I drizzle just a bit of EVOO onto my veggies and oven roast them or grill them in foil when I grill meals. I'll add things like pepper flakes to kick it up a notch. I find the EVOO to be healthy and adds a nice touch to the veggies. A local oilery has many types of EVOO including garlic, lemon and jalapeno oils. Great to cook with all around.

Car0lynnM

olive oil is really good for you. go ahead with it, just use a very little bit to cut back calories. Or steam, as you've said. I put them in the microwave with a bit of seasoning and butter (yeah, I know. It's canola oil/butter blend. oh well.)

auroranflash

Olive oil has monounsaturated fatty acids which are good for your heart. You don't need a lot. Just a drizzle and then toss well, season with herbs, sea salt and cracked pepper, and roast. Now I'm hungry.

Oh, and minced garlic.

Bobby__Clerici

I've tried everything to make veggies anything but loathsome but can't.
I hate veggies.
I just juice my veggies and supplement with fiber.
That's as good as it gets.:embarassed:

crystalflame

I have a Misto. It lets you use the oil of your choice so you can get the flavor you want, and it definitely cuts way back on the calories. If you're going to drizzle oil, drizzle a teaspoon and toss really well, then add more as needed. A little oil can go a long way. Also, use spices! Don't rely on the oil for flavor - opt for some cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary, etc.

I stir-fry, saute, and grill veggies a lot, but I don't think it's healthier than roasting, it just provides variety.

auroranflash

I've tried everything to make veggies anything but loathsome but can't.
I hate veggies.
I just juice my veggies and supplement with fiber.
That's as good as it gets.:embarassed:

That is so sad... I love all veggies. There are so many varieties and different preparations. Some people can't stand mushrooms or olives... I could eat them all day.

takumaku

By veggies, are you referring to high-starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, beans, parnips) or low-starchy vegetables (everything else)?

I consider high-starchy vegetables a part of the "grain group", which I collectively call the high-carb groups. Therefore, to me, for high-starchy vegetables, replace a serving of "grain" with a high-starchy vegetable.

For low-starchy vegetables, having a soup and/or salad, in addition, to a serving at every meal will help.

For lower fat cooking, I use my slow cooker, steamer, microwave. When I am baking vegetables, I do what I call the parchment-pouch method.

tcunbeliever

I use Earth Balance which is an oil based vegan butter alternative - probably not any lower calorie than olive oil...however, I see a lot of people with the zero or low caloire butter sprays on their vegetables instead of butter or oil, so that might be something to try...guess spray butter is not just for baking anymore!

Jesstruhan

Misto oil sprayer and/or broth steaming/blanching. :-)

I have a Misto at home and spray on Extra Virgin Olive Oil to just coat them. I have a really hot sautee pan going and spray just the bottom. I throw in the veggies, toss them to sear a little, throw in about 4 - 8 tablespoons of water and cover briefly to steam them just-barely. I don't like my sprouts squishy. They have to be seared and crunchy for me. :-) When the water is gone, take off the lid and throw on your favorite seasoning and toss the veggies so they sear again and just start to have that crisp look where the sprouts touch the pan. Remove from heat and let rest in the pan for a minute. Serve hot!

The rest I steam and top with seasoning, or roast but just with broth coatings instead of oil. The key is keeping them moist if you are roasting that way. if they dry out they taste funky. Veggie broth works but I use chicken. You can blanch veggies in broth as well to get them to that nice just-cooked state, drain them and sear them really fast to get the roasted veggie effect.

lorenzoinlr

I mist on olive oil with a sprayer and add salt, pepper and spices du jour. Teaspoon is around 60 calories. I'll do an extra 5 minutes of exercise for my olive oil.

I cook either on the grill or roasted in the oven. Roasted carrots and snap peas make a great snack.

hausofnichele

Oil is VERY good for you. I would worry more about bad carb intake (get your daily carbs from 95%-100% veggies) than eliminating/ greatly reducing good fats.

lcorder1

I would cook the vegetables with the seasoning first, then at the end, toss 1 tbsp of Olive oil or less. Olive oil is good for you but this way you are saving on the oil and still getting the benefits of it, specially if you don't eat the entire batch of roasted veggies. That is my favorite way to eat veggies also.

I also tried mashed cauliflour, it was to die for. Steam them with little bit of salt, then mash them with roasted garlic little milk and 1 tsp olive oil.

koshkasmum

Steaming is good - no extra calories at all so you can afford to fill up on them. Try with Clubhouse no salt vegetable seasonings - or "Molly Mc Butter (buttery taste - no oil, or a drizzle of Ketjap Manis (south east Asian sweet soya sauce) or, a teaspoon of Chinese oyster sauce (does not taste like oysters, trust me) and a few drops of toasted sesame oil. OR try braising them - Pam spray in a cold pan, then heat the pan and saute (works best if cut small - try bagged coleslaw mix) then add a few tablespoons of broth and steam/fry until the broth is absorbed (if you try this with cabbage and carrots, add a generous amount of fresh ground pepper and finish with a dollop of fat free sour cream - as you take them off the heat.) Roasting is nice - try tossing with a bit of pepper, garlic powder and some smoked paprika - then spray the works with oil or Pam. OR try blanching in boiling water for just a few minutes then shocking in ice water and chilling. Toss the blanched cold veggies with a fwe drops of sesame oil and rice vinegar and a grating of garlic then chill for a bit to allow flavors to marry (great with any oriental veggie - especially bean sprouts). Blanced cold veggies can also be dressed with a non fat italian or greek salad dressing and marinated an hour or so (YUM). I love my veggies.....

novarugger10

One of my favorites is to drizzle some EVOO onto asaragus then lightly cover with parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 mins. Yum!

Sauteing is fun, though keep it light on the butter.

Also, cucumber and grape tomato with fresh dill lightly coated in EVOO for something quick and cold.

jesswait

I put them in the steamer basket of the rice cooker while I am making rice or quinoa.

Linli_Anne

I usually steam or boil my veggies. Boring yes, but fine for a side - my kids like some grated cheese and butter on theirs. I like mine just as is.

Another yummy way to make them is with rice, but use a veggie broth instead of water...tastes yummy and makes a great side dish.

Bobby__Clerici

I've tried everything to make veggies anything but loathsome but can't.
I hate veggies.
I just juice my veggies and supplement with fiber.
That's as good as it gets.:embarassed:

That is so sad... I love all veggies. There are so many varieties and different preparations. Some people can't stand mushrooms or olives... I could eat them all day.

No need for tears...all is well.:bigsmile:
Seriously, each of us must find our own way. I had to abandon the notion of veggies being anything more than this stuff I need to force down every day. I went years without eating veggies, and my health was a total mess.
Meat/Potatoes...every meal....no more of that!

susanp57

Try mixing the veggies with the oil in a bowl, then place into a pan. They get coated, but you leave the extra in the bowl.

Of course, then you have a dirty bowl. But you can wash it while they roast.

tararocks

Agree olive oil isnt horrible for you, the cooking sprays work well, they say calorie free which is not entirely true but its still less than oil, however think of other switches you may have made..for example salad dressing, i used to coat my salads, then i started doing the 2 tablespoon serving, then 1 tablespoon and now sometimes i dont use any...try that approach, you may be able to jsut cut back on the oil you use and still get the same great taste youre after.
i also like to blanche/steam my veggies, grilling any veggies is great, during the warmer months as well we grill tons of veggies, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peppers, asparagus...i eat them with my meal, but there are always extras...they aren't as good reheated because they get mushy...solution? dice them up and put them on my own homemade veggie pizza, mix them in with cous cous for a side or meal, dice them up and scramble them in my eggs..yum.

oldernotwiser

Roasting vegetables with a little olive oil is the best! It's heart healthy and packs more flavor for minimum effort than any other method other than, possibly, grilling.

When you steam vegetables add flavor and "mouth feel" by drizzling a teaspoon of exra virgin olive oil over them and a bit of balsamic vinegar. It's important that you splurge a iittle and buy quality products. Spending $20-$30 for a bottle of aged balsamic is not over the top. You don't need much and it will last a long time.

Lately I have been sprinkling white truffle oil over steamed veg which yields great, earthy flavor. I spend $35 for a 2 oz. bottle but it lasts for months.

1lexisva

BUMP

iamtoni43

I'm a pepper lover and I've just discovered Lawry's Seasoned Pepper...a lot of punch for the ½ tsp. and it's my only seasoning on veggies. You can get a case of bottles (6) from Amazon for a little less than $4 a bottle, but it's $6 a bottle in most stores. (that's if you get free shipping) Of course, I love veggies, so it doesn't take much for me to enjoy them. My biggest problem is portion control.

jw17695

I like a lot of mine raw. And usually those that I cook, I just put it in the crockpot. I'll add spices but I don't add oils or butters. When we grill out I'll wrap them in cabbage and tin foil.