Bored with veggies... Need ideas!

Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
I'm tired of veggies. Tired of the same old broccoli, cauliflower in all forms, roasted Brussel sprouts, frozen veggies, green beans... I need suggestions badly for some low calorie vegetable sides (and kid friendly, if possible).

Help?
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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited February 2015
    Have you tried homemade soup with lots of itsy bitsy pieces of veggies? Chicken noodle soup is good and my ever so picky kid likes this too.
  • fearlessleader104
    fearlessleader104 Posts: 723 Member
    Indian or thai food
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
    Turnips are my new obsession. I'm going to try some mashed tomorrow, but so far really love them cubed and roasted. They are mild.
  • dottiestlottiest2015
    dottiestlottiest2015 Posts: 45 Member
    Roast butternut squash, lightly sprinkled with chilli.
  • LoadedM6Tina
    LoadedM6Tina Posts: 63 Member
    Veggie Burgers? I hated them the first time I tried them but now I'm quite keen on them. I don't think I'll be much help here because I don't ever get bored with veggies. Especially with a lil bit of hummus. Or just plain steamed. And asparagus...I don't care if my pee smells funny...I love it!! :blush:
  • tat2cookie
    tat2cookie Posts: 1,899 Member
    Sautéed kale with bacon, onions, mushrooms, and peppers go with just about anything. Zucchini noodles, grilled squash, goat cheese stuffed mini bell peppers, cabbage rolls, tomatoes filled with cottage cheese and basil, zucchini lasagna, spinach and bacon stuffed chicken. I could go on and on!!!
  • JustAnotherGirlSuzanne
    JustAnotherGirlSuzanne Posts: 932 Member
    edited February 2015
    I'm recently discovering that herbs and spices are my friends. :) Green beans with a little nutmeg is a classic dish I used to look forward to eating at my grandmother's house when I was a kid. (Yes, my favorite dish at Grandma's house was her GREEN BEANS! She is an excellent cook on top of that too, so that is quite something.)

    Also, my husband and I have both been loving artichoke and sundried tomato stuffed chicken breast. Great protein and lots of veggies get smushed in there. Delicious!
  • kmccann357
    kmccann357 Posts: 91 Member
    Sweetcorn
  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 694 Member
    Snow peas and mushrooms, with some garlic--either saulteed or steamed or turnip roots lightly boiled or saulteed.
  • bhanu
    bhanu Posts: 2
    I tried Kabocha squash baked fries. They are yum
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Parsnips, corn on the cob, snap beans, red peppers, sweet potatoes, artichokes, brussels sprouts
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I cook broccoli in chicken stock. I use an Herb-Ox sodium free packet in 8-16oz of water, boil the broccoli in it, and then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The flavor is much better than plain boiled broccoli! I can imagine it would be good with carrots, potatoes, and other root veggies.

    I also love wilted spinach in my pasta, and I discovered that sweet potatoes baked in the oven with a little olive oil and Montreal steak seasoning by McCormick is awesome too.
  • ohi874
    ohi874 Posts: 22 Member
    Zucchini chips! Slice em thin on a mandolin, season them up (garlic, onion, paprika or whatever you like) spritz of oil, sprinkle of parm, lay them out on a sheet pan bake at 450 for 20 ish mins a little more/less depending on thinkness. 2 large zucchini are only about 80 calories
  • ohi874
    ohi874 Posts: 22 Member
    Plus u c a n do the same with just about any root veg and a lot of others, just gotta play with your food. Sorry about the additional post tablet won't let me edit above.
  • sdwdickson
    sdwdickson Posts: 45 Member
    I just tried marinating raw veggies, loved it. Lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Marinade overnight. I did mushrooms, zucchini, and red pepper.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Why do they have to be low cal? Why not just look for veggies etc that you know you like and eat those? I can easily eat potatoes and corn even though they are both higher in calorie because I just love them. I'll eat lots of carrots, snap peas, and sweet peppers in volume because I just love them taste-wise and they are calorie-friendly. But I don't choose my veggies based on their degree of calorie-denseness other than for that specific day/meal.

    Or idk, just add cheese over your broccoli.

    Just a side note, I remember you posted about regularly going over your cal goal and thus wiping out your deficit overall.. I wonder if maybe focusing too much on how calorie dense food is contributes? I know that the more rules and restrictions I have on myself the more likely I am to be unhappy with my weight loss experience.
  • liftingandlipstick
    liftingandlipstick Posts: 1,857 Member
    Sugar snap peas. I like them raw, but they're effing DELICIOUS when steamed. I also really like steamed yellow squash with lemon juice.
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
    ohi874 wrote: »
    Zucchini chips! Slice em thin on a mandolin, season them up (garlic, onion, paprika or whatever you like) spritz of oil, sprinkle of parm, lay them out on a sheet pan bake at 450 for 20 ish mins a little more/less depending on thinkness. 2 large zucchini are only about 80 calories

    Definitely trying this!
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
    Do you have a good veggie cookbook? There are lots of them out there. My favorite is Moosewood. So many great ideas in that book. Also, have you tried raw food? Lots of great recipes in those raw cookbooks. <3
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Why do they have to be low cal? Why not just look for veggies etc that you know you like and eat those? I can easily eat potatoes and corn even though they are both higher in calorie because I just love them. I'll eat lots of carrots, snap peas, and sweet peppers in volume because I just love them taste-wise and they are calorie-friendly. But I don't choose my veggies based on their degree of calorie-denseness other than for that specific day/meal.

    Or idk, just add cheese over your broccoli.

    Just a side note, I remember you posted about regularly going over your cal goal and thus wiping out your deficit overall.. I wonder if maybe focusing too much on how calorie dense food is contributes? I know that the more rules and restrictions I have on myself the more likely I am to be unhappy with my weight loss experience.

    I'm just looking for new ideas. Often I'm low on calories in the evening so I need lower calories options, but I'm open to anything really. It just seems that I'm rotating a lot between the same kind of veggies and it's just getting boring.

    And believe me, I'm not restricting myself one bit...
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    edited February 2015
    For most vegetables, fry them in butter. One of my favorite dishes is potatoes skillet fried in real butter with some steak seasoning. And ya gotta cook it til it gets tangy/crunchy on the sides.

    Given potatoes are carb rich, I dont have them much, but it works for any vegetable. Or peanut butter (the crunchy kind). That goes with mostly any veggie, too.
  • ameliajane90
    ameliajane90 Posts: 24 Member
    I know that it's winter and this might not work, but if you hit up a farmers market, CSA, or local produce store, ask for suggestions from the farmers themselves! The might point you in a direction of a veg you never knew about and they usually have some to die for recipes!
  • jenniferelizabethwiseman
    jenniferelizabethwiseman Posts: 72 Member
    Salsa is a great dip for raw carrots, celery, jicama, or pretty much anything you can cut into strips! Also, when I get sick of eating my salads but know I need some more veggies on a given day, or when I want to snack during a TV show but not have popcorn or chips, I will eat salad right out of a premade bag, with my hands, just plain. A little goofy, but it works for me!
  • joeymarszalek
    joeymarszalek Posts: 13 Member
    Sauteed cabbage? Barbeque Cauliflower? Chilli Powder dusted sweet potato chips? .. wait the last one may not be as low calorie as I wish it were.. But try working with cabbage for a while. I sautee it with a tiny bit of oil and then add an avocado/apple vinegar dressing I found on foodgawker to it for a nice tang to it.
  • gaurdgoose
    gaurdgoose Posts: 106 Member
    roasted beets and parsnips
  • gaurdgoose
    gaurdgoose Posts: 106 Member
    swiss chard or kale or spinach sauteed and put into sauces or omelettes
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I'm tired of veggies. Tired of the same old broccoli, cauliflower in all forms, roasted Brussel sprouts, frozen veggies, green beans... I need suggestions badly for some low calorie vegetable sides (and kid friendly, if possible).

    Help?

    Asparagus spears sauteèd in a little butter and black pepper is amazing. I like to use my veggie mandolin to slice my veggies extra thin then layer them in place of noodles for lasagna. Grate onions and garlic into sauces for an extra kick of bold flavor. Steamed veggies covered in pasta sauce and sprinkled with parmesan is delicious and can be a great replacement for spaghetti if you are trying to cut carbs (or just over your carb macros for the day but still want pasta)
  • KatrineJensen
    KatrineJensen Posts: 75 Member
    edited February 2015
    Grate carrots, beets and an apple and mix them together with a splash of orange juice. Sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds. YUM. You could also add raisins or dried cranberries. Or, instead of orange juice, mix the grated vegetables with some low-fat plain yogurt and make it a carrot/beet slaw!

    Cabbage (red or white) also goes really well with fruits like orange, apple, grapefruit, pomegranate seeds etc. Add some walnuts or toasted almonds to make it A+.

    Kale is great massaged with some olive oil+balsamic vinegar+salt and pepper, and then with apple or perhaps fresh blackberries or strawberries, feta cheese and topped with toasted, chopped almonds.

    Can you tell I love salads with fruits and nuts in them? ;)
  • lisaab27
    lisaab27 Posts: 56 Member
    My daughter hates vegetables, my success stories with her are: oven-roasted broccoli or cauliflower. cut up, drizzled w olive oil, sprinkle with minced garlic or garlic powder and a nice no salt herb blend. If you don't mind the salt, sprinkle parmesan cheese. Also acorn squash, cut in half and cleaned, add butter and brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon and some water in the baking pan when cooking. That was a big success, she didn't even know it was a vegetable. If they can't scoop it out, you can and whip it like mashed potatoes. I added baby peas and wheat elbows to my homemade chili, she ate everything right down, no picking out the peas. Zucchini or carrots grated and made into muffins always go down easy. Green beans or carrots served with dipping ranch dressing.
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    Some of my go-tos are:
    - Finely chopped veggie salads. Just throw a lil bit of every veggie you have on hand together, add some salad spices and a light dressing and you're good to go!
    - Zucchini, onions and peppers, grossely chopped, thrown into a skillet with some coconut oil and spices. Add some curry spices or whatever you feel like it and roast it up. Super easy!
    - Chow meain base, without the fried noodles. Basically celery, onions, nappa cabbage or chinese lettuce, bean sprouts, toss together with olive or coconut oil, , add some chicken/onion/beef broth and a bit of soy sauce if that's your thing. I made this the other day with sliced chicken breast and it's delicious! And definitely not high cal since I didn't add anything to thicken and you definitely do not need sugar in there, either.
    - spaghetti squash! With meat sauce on top and some cheese
    - broccoli and cauliflower boiled with some butter? Tasty and easy!

    I'll admit on most days I'm too lazy to do any of this for at least one of my meals though, and just end up munching on the sliced veggies raw. Love sugar snap peas, too! and sometimes I'll just chow down a handful of baby spinach before a meal if I really don't feel like having veggies WITH the meal (it happens).
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