I am trying to eat more vegetables but I haven't eaten them very often my whole life. Since starting my new lifestyle I have found I like broccoli, carrots, spinach, hummus, and I don't hate asparagus. I dislike beans and peas except fresh sauteed green beans. What are some of your favorite vegetables and how do you prepare them to make them extra good. I bought an eggplant this week just to try it because I have never had one that wasn't deep fried. I live in the south and here if your vegetables aren't deep fried they are boiled to death. I really prefer steamed and sauteed vegetables they are just better.

@jazzgnat - I know what you mean about Southern foods - I grew up on them too. My mom used to (and still does) boil the veggies until they're nearly mush. I bought a rice steamer and use it to steam everything.

I particularly like steamed broccoli, squash, spinach or asparagus and it only takes 15 minutes to steam them - that's a bonus with a busy lifestyle. Try steaming zucchini and/or yellow squash with some chunks of onion. Really yummy.

A good substitute for spaghetti noodles is spaghetti squash. Poke holes in the skin of the squash and microwave for about 10 minutes (more or less depending on the size - it should be slightly soft to the touch). Let cool a bit, then cut in half, remove the seeds and membrane. Using a fork, gently remove the "spaghetti" from the skin. It will pull apart in strings that look like noodles! Cover with spaghetti sauce and you've got a great, low-cal, low-fat meal!

I also like roast veggies - that's my favorite way to prepare eggplant. I cut up chunks of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli and onion, spray lightly with cooking spray, season and roast for about 20 - 30 minutes - stirring occasionally. You can throw in anything - potatoes, carrots, sweet potato, acorn squash, green beans... But if you're using the zucchini or yellow squash with denser veggies like carrots or potatoes, you may want to add the squash later so they don't over cook.

OH - and another one that i never thought I would like but actually LOVE - sauteed kale! We cut three or four cloves of fresh garlic and about a cup or two of broccoli, saute in a bit of butter until the broccoli starts to get tender. Thaw a couple of servings of pre-cooked shrimp and set aside. Cut a nice-size bunch of fresh kale discarding stalks (prepare WAY more than you think you'll need - it really cooks down!). Add the kale to the garlic and broccoli and saute until just tender. Add the shrimp, squeeze in the juice of one lemon (more or less to taste), season with lemon pepper, stir and serve. We've had it by itself and with rice or quinoa - either way - it is YUMMY!!