vegetables

Are you reading the title of this article and thinking “Exciting? Vegetables aren’t exciting!”?

If you grew up eating vegetables boiled to within an inch of their life or if you feel clueless as to what to do with a sweet potato, capsicum, or broccoli when it’s put in front of you then please read on. Vegetable inspiration is on it’s way!

I love eating vegetables – the more the better! They are vital to maintaining good health. Studies show that the antioxidants and phytochemicals that vegetables naturally contain can decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cancer, increase your immunity and help prevent obesity. In fact, when compared to taking antioxidant supplements, eating fresh vegetables is far superior at promoting good health.

Why are vegetables so exciting?  They can be used in so many different meals and the more I cook with them the more confident I am at preparing vegetable rich meals that look and taste great!

Here are 10 reasons why vegetables are so exciting:

Soups

Soups are a great ways to eat vegetables. Load them up with pumpkin, sweet potato, leek, onions, parsnip, squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and much more. I also like to add a tin of drained lentils, cannellini beans or borlotti beans to my soup to give it a bit of a fibre and protein boost. Soup is great to make when you have some spare time and then freeze it for a busy or rainy day!

Stews

I love a good stew, especially in winter. It’s guilt-free comfort food and they are so easy to cook, especially if you have a slow cooker. One of my favourite winter dishes is a lamb and lentil stew full of carrots, celery, tomatoes, fennel, onions and garlic. It’s so yummy! You can find the recipe here.

Roasts

There is nothing wrong with a hearty roast. I love the tasty meat and crispy potatoes topped with gravy. All you need to do to make it a well balanced meal is to fill more of your plate with steamed beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli and carrots. Try roasted beetroot, parsnip, swede, brussel sprouts or squash. I really enjoy shredded english spinach, steamed until wilted and then drizzled with fresh lemon juice!

Platters

Have guests coming round? Or maybe the kids are due to come home from school. Serve up a plate of chopped raw vegetables and your favourite dip. It looks lovely and colourful and is great to munch on over the afternoon and while you’re cooking dinner. You’ll be surprised at how much your kids will enjoy it. Check out my  post: How to Make a Fruit and Vegetable Tasting Plate.

Pasta sauces

A great way to make pasta sauces go that little bit further is to bulk it out with finely grated vegetables. I like to add carrot and zucchini to bolognese sauce and I make another meatless sauce with garlic, onions, chilli, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and rocket all tossed together with some lemon juice. Yum! Check out my recipe for Lemon, Tomato and Basil Pasta.

Cheesy tops

Winter is also a great time for pasta bakes and pies. Instead of adding lots of breadcrumbs, pastry and cheese on top of these dishes try mashing steamed cauliflower with some low fat ricotta or cottage cheese and using that instead. Mashed sweat potato is another healthy pie topper.

I also make a delicious chicken and vegetable pie, that does have a small amount of pastry on top but is packed full of vegetables making it extremely filling yet low calorie.

Pasta substitute

Substitute the pasta sheets in a lasagna with thinly sliced eggplant or serve a bowl of freshly steamed beans, snow peas and sugar snap peas with a tasty tomato based sauce instead of using pasta.

Side dish

Most of the time I like to make up a large bowl of salad and then serve it as a side dish to practically anything. I even serve it up with a cooked frozen pizza or a toasted sandwich because you can never eat too many vegetables!

Egg Dishes

I love eggs and they go so well with vegetables. Making a quiche? You can add shallots, parsley, roast capsicum, small cubes of sweet potato, baby spinach, tomato, grated zucchini and so much more. A vegetable filled omelette is a great healthy breakfast and you know you’re doing well when you’re having vegetables for breakfast.

Sandwiches and wraps

Fill your sandwich or lunch wrap with vegetables as much as you can. Baby spinach, rocket, roast capsicum, eggplant and artichoke, grated carrot, sliced tomato, cucumber, capsicum and onions, shredded lettuce and mashed avocado.

Still not convinced? Want some personal recommendations and recipes based on your personal preferences?

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