You will not eat it if it doesn’t taste good.
Make vegetables taste amazing with a few simple tips.
Mix veggies with the food you already like
We tend to rotate dishes we know how to make and enjoy throughout the week. Take a dish and see what you can do to add a veggie or two. Examples:
- Breakfast burritos – Add minced onion, sweet peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, black beans, or caramelized sweet potato slices to eggs to start the day healthy!
- Like chili? Towards the end of cooking, add diced zucchini or yellow squash, chopped cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, or minced kale for a healthier version.
- Meat eater? Meat dishes can be healthier using half meat, half beans, lentils, or soy products (tofu, tempeh). Add other veggies for a great half-meat/veggie meal to add nutrients, blend flavors, and reduce saturated fat.
Allow for choice
Not everyone likes every food. Having a buffet-style set-up can allow everyone to build their own dish.
Find ways to mix and match to allow for veggies that are liked to be included and those that aren’t left out.
Think tacos, fajitas, burritos, and stir-fries – they all can be made with various ingredients that can be left separate, allowing each person choice.
Blend flavors
Mixing flavors makes a cook into a culinary artist. Combine bitter with sweet or savory and explore herbs, spices, and roots for more delicious meals. Examples:
- Add spices like curry, turmeric, or coriander. Try herbs like basil or cilantro or strong-flavored roots like onion, garlic, and ginger. These help balance and add flavors to veggies.
- Add sweet flavors with bitters – add sweet potatoes, sweet bell peppers, sliced apples, pears, or even citrus in dishes with Brussels sprouts, cabbage, or other bitter veggies. Sautéing items in a small amount of coconut oil can also add some sweetness.
- Sprinkle nuts and seeds on veggie-rich dishes to add savory flavors and a little saltiness. Nuts and seeds increase flavor, texture, and fiber while adding a ton of nutrients we often lack in our diets.
- Meat eaters – Add bold flavors like sausage, bacon, chicken, fish, or broths to help balance flavors with veggies. Making half your meal plants may improve your health, reduce cost, and lower saturated fat associated with meat consumption.
Get Sauce-y
Adding sauce to your veggies can make a huge difference in flavor. Teriyaki, orange, black bean, or a coconut curry sauce can take a veggie-rich meal to the next level.
Be aware of VERY high sodium content in many bottled sauces and consider making your own versions.
Also, go light on the sauces as they can add calories, salt, sugar, and fat to your diet. Over time you can lower the sauce as your taste buds become acquired to new flavors.
Size does matter
Cut veggies into sizes that you think would be pleasant to eat – A huge piece of broccoli will be difficult to chew and is overwhelming in flavor. Consider cutting it into tiny chunks that are easily chewed and allow room for other foods on your fork.
Cut tough, bitter, strong-flavor veggies smaller than delicate and mild-tasting ones– A stir fry with Brussels sprouts can overwhelm the dish if pieces are too large. Slivers or shredded pieces can blend flavors in a dish more easily than large chunks.
Cut each type of vegetable into similar sizes – This means all of the broccoli are the same size, all of the peppers are the same size, etc. This will help control the texture while cooking and cover the previous tips. Consider investing in a mandolin slicer or food processor for easier prep.
Heat can make or break your dish
The cooking method can dramatically change the flavor. Some cooking methods can draw out deliciousness from veggies, while others can increase bitterness and induce poor texture.
For example, microwaved spinach can be more bitter than lightly sautéed. Slow roasted Brussels sprouts are sweeter than boiled ones.
Cooking time is largely dependent on veggie texture – Tough veggies need more cooking time than delicate ones.
For example, broccoli and carrots will need more time than bell peppers and kale. Delicate leafy greens like spinach should be added at the very end of cooking – turn off the heat, toss it in, stir, and it is done.
Cook veggies until their color brightens. It only takes a short time to cook most veggies. Cook only until the texture is edible and the color is bright.
Overcook veggies, and they become dull and darken – a good indication that they will be bitter and have lost many nutrients.
How?
- Flash boil – allow water to come to a rolling boil. Toss in veggies like broccoli for less than a minute, then remove.
- When making pasta, throw veggies like kale into an empty colander. Then strain the hot water from the pasta over it, and it is done.
- Lightly sautée veggies like carrots for a minute or two over medium heat. Remove immediately when colors brighten, and the texture is still firm.
- Throw asparagus lightly coated with olive oil and salt and pepper on the grill for 2 – 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Stalks will brighten and be bendable (not limp) when done.
These methods keep veggies from getting mushy, improves the color (bright), and retains the nutrients and flavor.
Want optimum nutrition? Add Veggies to everything!
Vegetables are Nature’s powerhouse of nutrients. Vegetables have some of the highest concentrations of vitamins and minerals AND tons of fiber to provide you with critical nutrients often lacking in diets.
With very few calories and the ability to increase fullness, veggies can also help reduce overall calorie intake. This is an easy way to lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight.
Try different ways to cook and mix veggies in meals. You might find that you like a veggie prepared in one way but not another.
Just don’t give up! Just like kids, it can take many tries of a food before liking it.
Optimize your health with veggies! They contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs.
