need help with veggies
rosemiller11
Posts: 224 Member
So I've been on and off this website for 2+ years now, but just started a local biggest loser contest running for 6 weeks, and decided to start using for real again. Anyways, my biggest problem is how to get enough veggies in for the day. I confess that I don't like veggies all that well, which is a significant part of the problem, but I'm willing to retry them again if I can find a couple of fresh ideas on how to make them.
*note, I do like salads, I just get tired of them after awhile....
*note, I do like salads, I just get tired of them after awhile....
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Replies
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Roast some like tomatoes and zucchini, add some hummus and some feta cheese and serve on a pita.0
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I juice mine in a nutria bullet and add yogurt, sugar free jello or crystal light packet and you don't taste the veggies win win for me0
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try adding a little salt on your veggies0
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Spinach Lasagna Rolls
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/spinach-lasagna-roll-ups
I use Low fat Ricotta and some greek yogurt cream cheese along with whole wheat noodles . I just made a fresh batch last night. they are delicious.0 -
Thanks for the tips!0
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You can't hate every single vegetable there is?
Start by choosing what is in season, because otherwise it is often cold stored, and it just isn't as nice as fresh.
For a while (before the little local company shut down), I used to order a fruit and vege box to be delivered once a week. It was from local growers, it was in season, and fresh. The catch was, that you had no idea what you were getting each week. It was a good way to try lots of different stuff you wouldn't otherwise. We got all sorts, purple carrots, artichokes, and the usual potatoes, pumpkin, beans, etc...
Just look up some recipes online0 -
I put baby leaves spinach and broccoli in my smoothies. I purée vegetables and put them in pasta sauce. I chop them very finely and put them in omelets.
I used to hate eating vegetables too, but now I eat daily more than 5 portions of veggies without ever noticing.
I have a Word document I downloaded from a Tumblr blog. Its title is "40 Unexpected Ways to Add More Veggies to your Meal". It's my Bible. I'll copy/paste here (hope you won't mind the long post) :
Breakfast
1. Frittata it. We love starting the weekend with an egg-heavy brunch. Mix eggs with veggies for a healthy and hearty breakfast. Bonus points if you make enough to munch on all week!
2. Add finely minced broccoli to scrambled eggs. This veggie addition doesn’t change the texture of eggs and fits in at least a whole serving of veggies.
3. Steam and puree or finely grate cauliflower to mix with scrambled eggs. Try it with chicken or tuna salad for an entrée.
4. Bake ‘em. Breakfast sweets can be packed with veggies, too. Try making some travel-friendly bran muffins packed with zucchini and carrots in addition to the classic raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon.
5. Veg out on savory oatmeal. Yeah, the classic might be brown sugar with fruit, but oatmeal (or steel-cut oats) can be savory, too. Cook plain oats with water and add your choice of steamed or sautéed veggies. Top with an egg for extra protein and season with salt, pepper, or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
6. Make pudding a healthy breakfast. Only if it’s avocado-based!
7. Try pumpkin or butternut squash pancakes or waffles. When the skillet is heating next Saturday morning, throw some pumpkin or squash puree into any pancake or waffle mix to fit in an extra serving of veggies (and get a fun orange tinge, too).
Smoothies
8. Add greens to breakfast smoothies. A handful of spinach or kale blends well with any fruit smoothie. Try the classic “Green Monster” by blending 1 cup milk of choice, 1 frozen banana, 2 handfuls spinach, and 1 tablespoon almond butter.
9. Grab an avocado smoothie. Like the green smoothie, this avocado-based treat is perfect for breakfast or a nutritious midday snack. Packed with healthy fats, vitamin E, and vitamin B6, avocados are definitely one superfood we’d love to learn to liquefy.
10. Slurp a carrot smoothie. Carrot juice is pretty easy to find, but without an expensive juicer at home, it’s hard to make on demand. Luckily, grated carrots are easy-peasy to fit into any fruity smoothie. Bonus points: Because we’re using all parts of the veggie, none of the fiber is lost from the juicing process.
Pasta and Grains
11. Green up pasta dishes. When spaghetti and meatballs is on the menu, add a load of extra veggies to the dish itself instead of opting for a boring ’ol side salad.
12. Substitute veggie strips like zucchini, squash, asparagus, or spaghetti squash and skip the pasta altogether. Add veggies to the sauce too for bonus points.
13. Remember herbs are leafy greens too! Add fresh herbs to any rice, pasta, or grain dish. Or whip up a quick homemade herb pesto to add to scrambled eggs or use as a sandwich spread.
14. Fancy up macaroni and cheese. It’s a childhood favorite, but grown ups crave it too — don’t lie! When guilt sets in for wanting to demolish the whole box, throw in a load of fresh veggies to justify the choice. Spinach, tomatoes, peas, and broccoli make awesome additions. Extra credit for skipping the boxed mixes and making it all from scratch.
15. Mix the potatoes. Sweet and regular mashed potatoes are perennial favorites. To add some extra nutritional value, mix the two types of potatoes 1-to-1 in a mash.
16. Sneak them in casseroles. Anytime that casserole dish comes out of the cupboard, get out the grater, too. Finely shredded zucchini or summer squash can be added to virtually any casserole without changing taste or texture!
Sandwiches
17. Sub greens for sandwich wraps or breakfast burritos. For tougher greens like collards, kale, or chard, blanch the greens and pat dry before wrapping.
18. Try veggie grilled cheese. Cheese sandwiched between two slices of bread doesn’t have too much green value. Every time the cheesy craving strikes, throw in a few layers of veggies, too. Spinach or arugula, tomato, and avocado make awesome additions.
19. Make vegetarian quesadillas. Instead of opting for the classic chicken-and-cheese, throw in a variety of veggies and cut down the cheese by half for a healthier version. Some favorite fillings are corn, peppers, onions, and greens.
20. Bite a better burger by adding carrot puree to ground beef recipes. From hamburgers to meatloaf, a few steamed and pureed carrots (or a mix of carrot and sweet potato) go a long way.
Sauces and Condiments
21. Pick a pumpkin marinara sauce. Tomato sauce is a great vehicle for any extra pureed veggies. The easiest? Throw in a can of pumpkin puree!
22. Load up. Basic tomato sauce is great — definitely counts as one veggie! But the more veggies added, the better. Try adding pureed carrots or winter squash, peppers, onions, or greens.
23. Health up the Hollandaise. Nothing’s better than a Sunday-morning plate of Eggs Benedict, but the classic Hollandaise sauce can be less than healthy. Try subbing this avocado Hollandaise to fit in some extra green.
24. Mix butternut squash puree and grated cheese to use as a spread in grilled cheese, quesadillas, or pizzas.
25. Spice up salad dressing. Say bye-bye to classic oil and vinegar and hello to veggie-based dressings. Some ideas include butternut squash, tomato, beet, or zucchini.
Snacks
26. Bake an egg in an avocado. It’s the perfect healthy vehicle for some seriously awesome protein!
27. Turn it into a fry. Slice zucchini, avocado, carrot, or green beans, lightly bread and bake until crispy.
28. Cook up kale chips. Lightly coated in oil and sprinkled with salt, crispy kale chips are a great (and much healthier) stand-in for potato chips.
Pizza
29. Serve a colorful pie. Yes, a cheesy, meaty pizza pie is hard to pass up, but a really great pizza is a great vehicle for a big pile of veggies. Practically anything works, from greens and tomato to roasted squash or root vegetables.
30. Prepare a pizza salad. If pizza’s on the dinner table, throw a salad on top for a fun meal to eat, and an easy two-in-one dinner. A favorite? Arugula salad with tomatoes and Parmesan on top of a mixed veggie pizza.
31. Splurge on spinach. Tomato sauce is a great way to get a serving of veggies. Even better? Spread a layer of spinach puree on the pizza dough BEFORE spreading the sauce for another dose of veg (and some extra greens).
Soups and Stews
32. Add veggie puree to chicken soup. Making classic chicken soup? Add a can of pureed tomatoes, squash, or potato. It will make for a thicker soup and will sneak in some extra veggies.
33. Add carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash puree to any chili or stew recipe.
Baked Goods and Desserts
34. Bake veggies into bread. Another sweet veggie-packed delight, zucchini bread can be a great way to get in a serving of veggies while fulfilling that sweet tooth.
35. Disguise greens in chocolate! These spinach brownies use pureed spinach leaves in the wet mixture to get in that extra dose of greens in the dessert course, too! (They’re vegan, too.)
36. Choose chocolate cake with carrot and squash. Chocolate cake base is perfect to disguise the veggies packed in the batter. Make avocado frosting for even more veggie bonus points!
37. Pair chocolate and beets. The cocoa covers the earthy beet flavor well and the sweetness of the beets pair well with the sugary cake.
38. Stick to the sweet stuff. Lets just admit it, chocolate is basically the best way to hide veggies in pretty much anything. Case in point: sweet potato brownies.
39. Add carrot or sweet potato puree to chocolate chip cookies.
40. Pack avocados in chocolate pudding. Yes, we can even sneak some extra nutrients into chocolate pudding. Plus, avocados’ silky texture gives this pudding another plus.0 -
Try different combinations of vegetables and different seasonings. We discovered that leeks are great to use instead of onions. Not that there's anything wrong with onions, we just found that sometimes we prefer leeks. Tonight I sauteed chopped leek with garlic in olive oil, added sliced zucchini, a bit of chicken stock, covered until slightly soft, then added a cup of halved mini yellow pear tomatoes. I seasoned it all with McCormick perfect pinch vegetable and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I also love to make a broccoli stir fry with onions, thinly sliced bell pepper or mini sweet peppers, mushrooms, garlic, with a bit of oyster sauce. Coleslaw mix is easy to stir fry as well, in coconut oil is my favorite, with some bragg's liquid aminos and McCormick savory or asian seasoning.0
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I kind of found this out by accident.... But for a while there our garden was producing squash and zucchini faster than I could eat them without getting burnt out on them... I made a fruit smoothie one afternoon... While I was getting the ingredients together my eyes landed on the pile of squash... I thought about how bland they are unless we season them... Soooooooo, I threw a small (raw) one into the smoothie... !!!!!!!!! Best of both worlds, got my veggie(s) in, but it didn't affect the taste of the smoothie! I've noticed people mentioning adding spinach, but keep forgetting to add it to the grocery list.0
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Shoulda had a V-80
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I love to snack on raw carrots and celery, I carry a zip lock bag in my handbag wherever I go. If that's too boring you could dip them in peanut butter, tzatziki or light cream cheese. You could also try home made vegg juices or add things like tomato and mushrooms to breakfast0
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Green Smoothies! Even my husband and kid get their veggies now! Try a mango, RIPE banana, orange, apple, carrot and at least a cup of spinach. Blend it up with ice and water! YUM! You can't taste the veggies!0
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I've been hearing about the green smoothies for some time, will def. have to try them! Juicing is a great idea as well. In fact, you all posted great ideas. I'll get started on some of them right away!0
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Thanks so much! I don't mind the long post - I wanted lot's of ideas...0
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Almost any veggie taste good roasted. coat in a little olive oil or grapeseed oil, season however you like and pop in the oven.0
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Once I started eating veggies in almost every meal like a year ago and reduced eating sugary stuff I slowly learned to love my veggies, no my plate is 70% veggies and love them to bits.
Oh, and green smoothies ^_^0 -
Fact: All vegetables are better grilled.0
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