Veggies...

CorydonCutie
CorydonCutie Posts: 185 Member
edited September 23 in Recipes
I have GOT to find a way to incorporate more veggies into my diet. I love fresh fruits, but I have yet to find a fresh veggie I like. Well, I do like raw broccoli with ranch dip, but outside of that I'm out of options. Can any of you suggest veggies recipes that I can cook using frozen veggies? I think my problem is I like my veggies soft. I don't care for stir fry or anything like that because the veggies are still crisp. I don't mean to sound stupid, but when it comes to eating right, I kind of am...LOL. Will frozen veggies like green beans, lima beans, etc. eventually become soft like they are in a can if you cook them long enough? I need some direction and suggestions from more seasoned friends. Oh! I do like salad, but I would like to have more of a variety. :)

Replies

  • togden
    togden Posts: 324 Member
    My new best friend are the veggie "steamers" that you pop in the microwave but yes you can cook them on the stove top as well because i do not own a microwave ..... I noticed that if i cook them longer the veggies do soften up because i forgot about my broccoli and cheese the other day .... They are 45 cals per serving
  • Aid_B
    Aid_B Posts: 427
    You mentioned "Frozen veggies" I fry mine with a little oil then add a couple of beaten eggs to make a "frozen veggie" omlete.

    tasty, filling and around 177 calories.

    Add cheese on top and grill
  • vixincali
    vixincali Posts: 7
    My experience has been that the frozen veggies just seem to get rubbery the longer they cook. It may just be me though. I prefer fresh anyways. Try maybe some soups that you can add veggies to. I just made some homemade Zucchini muffins that I eat for breakfast or just a snack. The salad mixes they offer in grocery stores now offer lots more variety. They have Caesar, Southwest, Asian, Stawberry/Spinach. I am not sure of the calorie counts on all of them but I am sure that you can alter the types of dressings you add. Good Luck!
  • newjmf
    newjmf Posts: 78
    Have you ever considered making a "green smoothie" to incorporate some veggies? Try reading this site: http://greensmoothierecipes.org/

    I personally, like to buy the Ziploc Zip n' Steam bags and steam all of my veggies in the microwave. They turn out super soft that way!
  • bzmom
    bzmom Posts: 1,332 Member
    thrown the frozen veggies in a microwable container, cover them and steam them that way. That is the way I eat mine and love them!!
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    Steamed broccoli or cauliflower, boiled frozen peas, cooked green beans... all good options.
    You can also disguise veggies in other foods (try blending up some spinach and carrots in your spaghetti sauce).
    Also, try the Wish Bone Salad Spritzers - you can get a lot of flavor without the calories and sodium of regular dressing.
  • Toaster88
    Toaster88 Posts: 146
    I cook frozen veggies every night. A lot of my recipes are carrot based, as I get all of those I want for free. Half the nights, I just cook them on a stovetop (you boil/simmer them), the other half I have to "cheat" by putting some butter or brown sugar/cinnamon or some kind of teryaki sauce in them.
  • superbeffie
    superbeffie Posts: 93 Member
    I like the steam in a bag mix with corn carrots and asparagus. They steam pretty soft and with some I can't believe i'ts not butter and some garlic and onion powder they taste awesome. They also have individual peas and broccoli in a butter sauce that are very low cal. It took me a while to get used to eating most veggies because they are an acquired taste, but as you get used to them it gets easier. I also like to mix them with a bite of meat or cheese to help hide them if it's not something I am really fond of. Good luck.
  • moriah5
    moriah5 Posts: 20
    shredded veggies such as carrots, cabbage and squash are easy to add to pasta, soups and sauces.
  • nightbird1103
    nightbird1103 Posts: 34 Member
    If you like mushy veggies, just cook them for a looong time. I made a veggie side dish last night using yellow onions, cubed eggplant (no skin) and fresh tomatoes- I just browned the onions in a pan, added about 1/2 cup of water for steam (didn't want to use oil) and then threw in the tomatoes and eggplant. It was nice and mushy, the way I like it. You can then us it as is, as a topping for bread or protein, or mix in some brown rice for a change of pace. I often clear out the veggie drawer and just throw everything in a large pot with a couple of cubes of bullion and water and cook it for an hour or so. This makes them nice and tender. You can eat it as a soup, or strain them in a colander for a regular side dish. I tend to make large batches and they stay in the fridge up to a week, or you can, of course freeze them in small containers to take to work or use as needed. I typically use fresh, but I'm sure frozen would work as well.

    Good luck!
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
    When you cook/steam your veggies you are removin their nutrients. So y even eat them if you are goin to cook them?

    I have a problem with chewin my veggies. I start eatin celery and end up gaggin on the damn thing, I've always had problems with gettin my veggies down same way with apples. I would always gag on the damn things.

    The answer to my problem: Juice them!
    I now buy fresh organic fruits and veggies and I juice them. Easy to drink and taste good!
  • Toaster88
    Toaster88 Posts: 146
    Another thought is juices/smoothies. V-8 is a very aquired taste. If there are Bolthouse Juices in your area, they make on called Green Goodness. It is Pineapple Juice based with a bunch of veggie servings, so once you get past the snot green color, it is actually very sweet. I'm not just saying that because I'm biased. They post the fruit/weggie equivalent serving on the side of all the juices.
  • Cbaker5156
    Cbaker5156 Posts: 76 Member
    First Keep up the good work.. Now to veggies. Have you tried mock Cauliflower. Steam cauliflower until tender and then blend it. I have one of those hand blenders you just stick in the pot, but you could use a blender. Its great. Put a little low calorie sour cream and your good to go..
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    When you cook/steam your veggies you are removin their nutrients. So y even eat them if you are goin to cook them?
    That's not necessarily true - spinach and carrots are both better for you cooked for some reason.
    Also, although SOME nutrients can be lost during the cooking process, not all of them and it is still better to eat cooked veggies than not to eat them at all.
    Check out this article: http://health.learninginfo.org/cooking.htm
  • fightingdissonance
    fightingdissonance Posts: 53
    Steam them! Take fresh or frozen green beans, put them in a steamer, and depending how long you cook them, you can adjust the length of cooking time for the texture you like. If you don't have a steamer or are in a pinch, try boiling a pot of water and cooking them that way, it gives a similar result to steaming. I know many of the nutrients are lost by boiling them, but sometimes it's better to find a way to cook vegetables that you like than have to resort to finding another source for your calories or adding in unnecessary stuff like dips so you can try to stomach them. Steamed (or better sauteed but if the texture isn't your fancy, steamed is excellent as well) green beans mixed with minced garlic and a touch of olive oil is sooo good that every time I make it I have to remind myself how healthy it is because it just tastes amazing.
  • CorydonCutie
    CorydonCutie Posts: 185 Member
    Thanks for all your responses. I could eat canned veggies all day. I love carrots, peas, green beans, asparagus, spinich, corn, lima beans, and I love the steamers with broccoli and cauliflower. I just knew that canned veggies added a lot of sodium and preservatives and I thought frozen was better. But like I said...I like the "canned veggie" softness. I dont' like crunchy or even crisp cooked veggies. Probably a texture thing. Maybe I should mix a few frozen with a few canned and sort of make the switch that way. Eventually I'm going to have to learn to like them. :)
  • msemejuru
    msemejuru Posts: 229
    I steam veggies, add a 1/2 tsp of Best life butter and Mrs. Dash. Mrs. Dash has tons of flavors but I'm into Garlic & Herb and Southwest Chipotle right now and they are all salt-free. I use frozen veggies and only steam until they are cooked but still crunchy so I don't get rid of the nutrients.
  • Jessicah1987
    Jessicah1987 Posts: 14 Member
    Toss lower sodium canned veggies in a strainer and wash them with cold water before cooking. That will wash off the liquid they were canned in and reduce some more of the sodium content. But don't forget that the veggies DO absorb some of that liquid, so they will still be higher in sodium than they would be naturally. But its definitely better than no veg at all.

    PS - I commend your ability to eat canned veg. So much cheaper but I hate the fact they're squishy. I love love LOVE to make stir-fry for the fiance and I. Or crunchy carrots and roasted red pepper hummus. Tastes better than the name sounds. :)
  • CorydonCutie
    CorydonCutie Posts: 185 Member
    Hey...now that is an idea. I will eat raw baby carrots but I don't care for them. I do however like roasted red pepper hummus and sun dried tomato hummus. Maybe I could try the carrots in that....or even green beans. Hey...it's worth a shot. LOL.
  • Toaster88
    Toaster88 Posts: 146
    If they are available in your area, there are matchstick carrots. They are more or less pre-julianed and slide into anything.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    I love veggies but I grew up eating them out of a can too so had to learn to cook them and have had to learn more how to fit them in the day since starting to eat healthier.

    An easy way to fit lots of veggies in at breakfast is to do an omelet or scramble -- I usually do an egg, 2 egg whites and then add in random veggies like mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach or tomatoes. Throw in a little sour cream or cheese and you have a good low-calorie breakfast with some veggie servings in it.

    Have you ever tried mashed potatoes with cauliflower in them? I can do up to half cauliflower (I just buy frozen and throw in with the potatoes the last few minutes of cooking) and not really tell a difference. Vegetable soup is a good way to get in veggies and you can just buy frozen vegetable soup mix. I also cook frozen green beans for a LONG time and they get soft. I cook them in a little chicken broth instead of water for more flavor.

    Also have to share one of my favorite new veggie recipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Roasted-Carrots/Detail.aspx

    Roasting is an easy way to do vegetables too, especially in the winter. Carrots, potatoes, parsnips, onions, sweet potatoes all roast well.

    Have you ever tried butternut squash? LOVE butternut squash soup in the fall/winter!
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    I would start to try some fresh veggies. You can buy spaghetti squash and skip the pasta overload. Just add some sauce to the spagh squash, and maybe melt a laughing cow cheese in it too! We have this at least once a week.

    Zucchini ----peel it to the seeds, bout 2 or 3 of them, put in fry pan, 1/4 cup of broth, 2 wedges of laughing cow cheese, spices, some tomatoes. Steam, stir, steam, stir, until the cheese melts! You have alfredo!

    turnip fries - buy turnips and dont peel them, just slice them to resemble fries and cook for 30 mins. Spray top and bottom with pam and season first.
  • BehindBlueEyes988
    BehindBlueEyes988 Posts: 433
    I always have nothing but fresh veggies. The best way to steam, at least for me, is to buy a steaming basket at the grocery store, usually about $5. Then just boil water, throw in your fav veggies and let them steam away. Usually green beans or other veggies in need of a longer cook I boil. I usually eat them plain like this, its my favorite way, but for flavor you could give them a splash of lemon juice.

    Also, make a good ol' saute with your favorites. I never liked zucchini, squash, onions, peppers or mushrooms (def. not mushrooms) but now they're one of my favorite sides to cook up. Just use a little olive oil and cook them to your liking. You can add Mrs. Dash or chili peppers for flavor to make it a more appetizing dish. I use to hate it when my mother made it for us, now I can't get enough
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