Cooked veggies?
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britkristineh21
Posts: 2
What is the best way to eat cooked/warm veggies and still keep the nutrition in them and keep them "clean"? Is there such thing as nutritious cooked veggies? Input and ideas are appreciated! I am VERY new to this... just trying to think of some side dishes as we eat a lot of veggies usually cooked. We have a 2 year old & 8 year old.
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I've read (but I'm not sure) that ideal preparation for retaining nutrients varies from veggie to veggie. For instance, some veggies you shouldn't even eat raw. I would say.. when in doubt, steam them.. leaving them still slightly crisp and not mushy. I like to do this with broccoli and cauliflower and just season with a little salt and pepper.0
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Good idea... was thinking the same for zuchinni and carrots too. Kids just aren't fond of raw veggies as much but LOVE them steamed so that works
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It's tempting to douse veggies in cheese or butter in order to get kids to eat more of them, but you'll be establishing habits that they may never break; My hubby is 55 and still drowns his veggies in butter. He's also 40 lbs overweight with high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Better to dip raw veggies in hummus, nut butter or something similar if a dip is required and just use seasonings on steamed vegetables for added flavor, if also required. I imagine a bit of honey and cinnamon could work wonders for freshly steamed carrots or sweet potatoes, but I eat all of mine plain, so I don't have a lot to offer in the way of other suggestions. I made lots of casseroles when my kids were younger. That seemed to help "hide' them a bit, too.
Kudos!0 -
That "don't use butter on your veggies" idea is complete crap. In fact, kids are the first ones I'd be giving (grass fed) butter to. Eat fat to fuel the body. Kids especially, since they are growing and building brains (your brain is 66% fat) and other important organs.
Keeping growing children on a low-fat no-fat diet is child abuse in my book.
Cook the veggies gently. Don't over do it. Don't use the microwave much either. Steam gently, or saute lightly in butter at low or medium heat until tender.0 -
Agreed, roasting them in the oven in some EVOO, sauteeing in a skillet, or steaming. I wouldn't recommend the microwave or boiling, but I agree that there's no need to add the butter if they'll eat it without. Hummus is a great idea. Kids love anything they can dip.0
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i like to put some chicken broth or coconut thai curry broth in a skillet and then throw in a couple ounces of veggies when its hot enough, leave it low/high-low for a little bit and the veggies tend to absorb a lot of the broth and end up really tender and savory. The best part is that both of those broths are around 20 calories for an entire cup, so you get tons of flavor without much negative.0
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i also use a little olive oil or sesame oil to cook them in. remember you still need some fat in your diet, healthy fat.0
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I don't avoid butter, but I usually cook my vegetables using olive oil. My favorite way of preparing vegetables is generally to roast them, as many people have already mentioned, because imo that enhances the flavor of most vegetables, especially root veggies. Roasting them really brings out the sweetness, which could be useful if you're cooking for children. I love roasted asparagus, broccoli, brussles sprouts, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, cabbage... I would basically never boil a vegetable... :sick: unless it was a starch, and even then I prefer them prepared in other ways - except maybe sweet corn. You can toss the vegetables in oil and spices, and change up the flavors considerably each time depending on the spices you use.
I usually enjoy vegetables sauteed, as well, in which case I'll often use butter (or bacon fat). I enjoy sauteeing things like bok choy, onions, mushrooms, carrots, etc, with a little oyster sauce. Kale, cooked sweet potatoes, and quinoa make a delicious sautee. I also usually add a lot of vegetables to whatever other dishes I'm cooking. For example, I usually add vegetables to cold salads, which I make a lot of as side dishes. Aside from the obvious leafy salads with dressing, I like to make grain or bean based salads, to which I'll add veggies, either raw or that I've roasted. Quinoa, bulgar, or rice with corn, peppers and black beans, or tuna and chickpea with vegetables, etc. Usually I make a dressing that involves a little oil, usually olive or sesame depending on the spices, and some sort of vinegar or lemon or lime juice.
It basically just boils down (no pun intended) to what tastes best to you!0 -
Steaming to about 60% cooked is good with vegetables.
On another note, if you want raw broccoli to be more palatable, scald it for 20 seconds in boiling water. The outer skin takes on a beautiful green color and adds sweetness, while just under the surface it is still raw and has a satisfying crunch.0
