Need good ways to fix vegetables

[Tinijocaro]

I realize that we don't eat nearly enough vegetables in our house. I am desperate for ideas on HEALTHY ways to prepare veggies. Help!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Well, raw is good. We try to start every meal with either a salad (dark greens, not iceberg lettuce, with other veggies added depending on what we have, and maybe some chopped apple or nuts too) or veggies and dip (with peppers, carrots, celery, mushrooms, cucumber slices). Or sometimes in winter we'd have a vegetable soup as a starter.

If we are cooking vegetables separately, we usually steam them. If I want to add some extra flavour to them, I might top them with a little salad dressing - using different flavours means lots of options.

You can mix vegetables into a lot of things as well. Making a pasta dish? Add plenty of chopped peppers, celery, etc. to the pasta sauce. Doing meatloaf? Chop up lots of onions and other veggies and add them to the meat mixture. Try to think about the different meals you make and ways to add more vegetables.

Teresa

 

[Mom2Nick]

We love roasted vegetables. Carrots and Asparagus are good with just a bit of spray and salt and pepper. Broccoli and Cauliflower need a bit of oil and are great with fresh grated garlic mixed in. Roast at 450 until done - usually 10 minutes for Asparagus and 30 minutes or more for the other ones dpeneding on how thick you have them.

 

[merekc]

We like fresh asparagus steamed with basalmic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper (or my real seasoning of choice Cavendar's Greek Seasoning). Same thing can be done to spinach. Add a little chopped raw onion if you like.

I also use this on cucumber, tomato and onion salad.

I steam broccoli or zucchini and put a little melted butter with garlic or garlic powder on it. We eat a lot of these two veggies.

 

[Slem liten katt]

I really like grilled or saute`ed veggies. A light coating of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and fire 'em up. Asparagus, green beans, yellow squash and mushrooms are our favorites for these methods but many vegetables are wonderful prepared this way.

My other favorite is a little iffy on the healthy. I mince up two strips of bacon and brown those. Then I toss in a bunch of fresh brussel sprouts I've cut into quarters. I let those brown and carmelize a little bit before serving. They are sooooooo good!

I bust up a pack of bacon into little 2 or 3 strips bundles and bag them separately to freeze. A little bacon goes a long way for adding big flavor.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[mommytotwo]

Stir fry, fried rice, and salsa are different ways to get in an assortment of veggies.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Those ziploc steamer bags are a godsend if you like steamed veggies!

I usually just add a little butter and lemon pepper topping, Mrs. Dash is good but can't find any lately. I think we used McCormick now.

 

[agentpleakley]

Those ziploc steamer bags are a godsend if you like steamed veggies!

I usually just add a little butter and lemon pepper topping, Mrs. Dash is good but can't find any lately. I think we used McCormick now.

I second the steamer bags. I love veggies ... my family not so much.

I started buying one of those huge vegetable trays at Sams. I put this on the table every evening while I am preparing everyone's plates. Surprise - my kids and DH have started nibbling on the raw veggies.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

my neighbor does that too. He boys love raw veggies. She sticks a bowl of ranch dressing on the table and they love dunking.