Any tips for adding more vegetables to your meals?

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I love veggies but somehow, they don't seem to make into my meals as much as I'd like. Does anyone have any tips for adding more vegetables to meal?
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Replies

  • Dandersonjr32
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    Yeah, add them to every meal?
  • TankGirl71
    TankGirl71 Posts: 241 Member
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    Put more of them on your plate?
  • angelinerstetzko
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    One of my favorite things is just cutting up and eating raw veggies as a side (or in my case, as a whole meal) and dipping them in a light ranch dressing. Super filling, super healthy and super yummy!

    Also - you can also make green smoothies.

    The easiest, which is also one of my favorites is:
    -2 bananas
    -1-2 cups of baby spinach
    -water
    -ice
    blend and enjoy!
    You don't even taste the spinach, but it gives you a good dose of greens in your diet!
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    Depends on what types of food you are cooking. I like to pretty much chop up peppers and onions and put them in anything.. Spaghetti sauce for example, finely chopped in ground turkey for turkey burger, sauteed in a small amount of olive oil and then wrapped in corn tortilla. Plus I slice tomato and cucumber for sandwiches. Eating a salad is a great way to get all of the veggies you need, if you chop up veggies in all colors of the rainbow and add them, you should be getting plenty.

    I find that almost any dinner recipe can at least have celery added, and usually peppers, onions, mushrooms. Good luck!
  • dayzeerock
    dayzeerock Posts: 918 Member
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    I'm confused by the question. don't you just add them to your plate like you would any other portion of your meal?
  • ladysandy
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    Now that sounds so interesting ... hummm need to try this !!! Thanks :flowerforyou:
  • JamesonsMommy
    JamesonsMommy Posts: 771 Member
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    Just make them more fun :) instead of mashed potatoes try a cauliflower and a carrot mash (very very tasty) Also last night i tried my first ever turnip. I made them into french fries and they were amazing :) Going to try to roast them this weekend. The steam bags of veggies are super easy to make.. I sometimes use those for a quick veggie stir fry :) Another new veggie i tried this week was spaghetti squash.. I mixed the "spaghetti" with a very small amount of pasta for a greek pasta dish and the spaghetti squash really made the meal...
  • mcottle292
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    juicer!
  • wendybird2
    wendybird2 Posts: 46 Member
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    Eat Clean! (basically this means eating minimally processed food, mostly made of vegies, lowfat dairy, lean meat, and whole grains).

    Throughout the summer I get a bag of fresh seasonal veggies from the local CSA (which supports local farmers), and then I get creative trying to use it before it goes bad. I put veggies in everything. I heat huge salads for lunch. I make a big batch of veggie soup that i snack on all week. I even put spinach in smoothies. I've gotten very good at using every scrap of vegetable before it goes bad! I peruse "eating clean websites", blogs, and Clean Eating magazine. Try some of these:

    cleaneatingmag.com
    thegraciouspantry.com
    eatcleandiet.com
    ohsheglows.com
    foodformyfamily.com

    Also, feel free to check out my food diary for ideas if you want. Good luck!
  • Melmade
    Melmade Posts: 349 Member
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    Process them--shred, slice, chop--whatever. Mix them in with your protein. Add shredded veggies--like carrot, slaw mix, etc to your wraps or sandwiches. Throw them in your soups. Blend them with anything. Eat salads. Slice them & layer like lasagna in a casserole pan, add feta & bake. Check out recipes on Skinnytaste.com.
  • ranhound
    ranhound Posts: 59 Member
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    I always keep a tupperware container of cut-up veggies in the fridge and my favorite hummous on hand for dipping; a mixture of baby carrots, grape tomatoes, celery, and broccoli. It is handy and the hummous makes it yummy. Mentally it also reminds me of eating french fries and dipping them into ketchup, so it sort of tricks myself into thinking I'm having fast food.
  • marquesajen
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    It depends on what you normally make. Try a big salad with chicken and lots of different veggies in it. Stock up on carrots and hummus for snacks. Pick a new vegetable to try once a week perhaps and use it a couple times a week in a different recipe. If you're making pasta, add some cooked spinach to it or a handful of basil leaves. Fruit smoothies with some spinach or cucumber or kale are delicious too and great for breakfast. Try honestfare.com there are many recipes there that are delicious and heavy on vegetables!
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    I'd suggest making the change in the grocery store, simply buy more fresh veggies, and they'll probably make their way to your plate. Personally, there are few meals that I enjoy more than roasted veggies on spicy rice.

    Asparagus, garlic, onion, sweet potatoes (half baked then thinly sliced), peppers (red, orange, yellow), broccoli, cauliflower, kale; tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with chili powder/cajun spices/paprika/salt, spread on a baking sheet, and baked at 400 for like 10-15 minutes.

    OM NOM NOM. I eat an entire pan, no lie, and it's not that many calories...
  • JENIFER_AZ
    JENIFER_AZ Posts: 235 Member
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    roasted portobello mushroom
    roasted red pepper
    part skim cheese melted on top

    YUM!
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
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    Check out the New York Times Recipes for Health: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html?ref=nutrition

    More delicious and imaginative ways to prepare and serve veggies than you will find anywhere else!

    IF you friend them on FB, you are not limited by the NYT's policy of 20 articles/month, and the new recipes get posted to your page for free!
  • cdstadt
    cdstadt Posts: 311 Member
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    The biggest tip I have is to wash, cut, and organize all the veggies that can be pre-cut right when you get home from the store. That way you have sticks of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery... etc. whenever you open the fridge door. I eat way more raw veggies for snacks if they're like this than if I have to take out a whole head of something to wash and cut while I'm hungry.

    If you use predominately frozen, pop a 1/2 cup of one or two veggies (or veggie mixes) in the microwave and add to any gravy or sauce you might already be having.

    Add raw baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach to marinara or cream sauce. Add an extra serving of raw to your sandwiches

    Puree things like cauliflower, carrots, and other mild-tasting veggies and add them to soups, marinara, and other sauces.

    You can hide raw kale and other dark greens in fruit smoothies. Freeze bananas for smoothies for an ice-creamy/shake texture. Frozen fruit is best for smoothies I think because you don't need ice and the nutrients are more concentrated. Also, flash-frozen things can have more nutrients than fresh-- especially if the fresh stuff you have is a few days old.

    If you're getting bored, make it a point to find a fun veggie side dish recipe on the internet for each dinner.
  • philp68
    philp68 Posts: 2 Member
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    This is a great recipe, and you can freeze them all and eat as a snack or part of your dinner. Check out the link.

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/addictive-sweet-potato-burritos/detail.aspx


    You get your protein, small amount of carbs and packed with flavour (high in sodium so reduce the canned beans). If you are looking for quick veggies, buy mixed frozen ones or even fresh green beans, just put them in a pan with a bit of water to cover them, simmer for five minutes covered, sprinkle some seasoning (no salt) and voila tender tasty green beans.

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-burgers-2/detail.aspx

    This is another fun recipe, takes a bit of time but very delicious....shred the carrots though as they get mushier easier.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
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    Ziplock makes these great bags called Zip 'n' Steam. I stock up on those. Cut up veggies, toss them in the bag and they are ready for the microwave. I bring the bags to work. I do them at home to add extra veggies to a meal. I add spices. Or pepers and onions give things like green beans a mice mix of flavor. Sometimes a teaspoon of sauce or oil/vinegar is great.
  • Kandace_Riopel
    Kandace_Riopel Posts: 80 Member
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    When I make soup I add a can of peas into it makes for a fuller meal and adds veggies. The other things I've tried is I would eat fruit and vegetables from the time I woke up until I had all my servings for the day. Than I would eat other stuff
  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
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    have veggies instead of starches (rice, potatoes, etc) at meals. Have two veggies if younormally have a veggie and a starch.