New week. New month.
It’s the first Monday in April, and that means it’s time for me to . . .
Real Spring is inching ever closer. (Even here, where it was still below-freezing – but sunny! – yesterday morning.) What better time to talk about . . . vegetables!
Yep. Vegetables.
As in . . . eating more of them.
For years, I had a personal goal of . . . adding more vegetables into our diet/meals. And I failed miserably, year after year. I blame my difficulties on being a child-of-the-60s. Back then, dinner typically consisted of a meat, a starch (usually potatoes in some form), and . . . a bland, tasteless vegetable (usually frozen, but often from a can). It is very hard to get excited about warmed up vegetables from a can, let me tell you. When I became a young-adult-of-the-80s, and responsible for my own dinner menus, I really didn’t do much better. I relied on that deeply embedded childhood pattern. Dinner was . . . a meat, a starch (usually potatoes, but sometimes branching out into the exciting world of rice!), and a bland, tasteless vegetable (never from a can, but usually microwaved instead).
Several years ago, though . . . I finally changed that pattern. I broke the code! I have successfully added more vegetables to our meals. But. It wasn’t easy!
I know that you already know that . . . eating vegetables is GOOD for you. But let’s just do a quick review of WHY: A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.
And you probably know, too, that according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guideline for Americans, adults in the US “should be” eating 2-3 cups of fruits and vegetables . . . per DAY. For most people I know, that seems like a whole lotta vegetables — and a daunting task. (It was for me.) But I’m here to say . . .if I, the child of meat + potatoes + gross vegetable, can do it, so can you!
So. How did I break the code? How did I add more vegetables into my life?
Here are my best tips . . .
- My secret weapon is . . . baby spinach. I always keep it on hand, and I throw it (by the handsful) into almost everything I make – whether the recipe calls for it or not. It always enhances. It never detracts. And it’s one of those super healthy dark leafy greens that are not always appealing to eat by themselves. (I even throw it in fruit smoothies. You can’t even tell it’s there.)
- I use my roasting pan for vegetables all the time. What vegetable ISN’T better when roasted? And it’s super easy to do.
- I keep bags of chopped frozen vegetables in my freezer to throw into whatever I’m cooking. A handful of peas here, a handful of chopped peppers there . . . they add up! (Trader Joes has a really nice selection of pre-chopped, frozen vegetables.)
- I started cooking vegetarian recipes (as you’ve seen from my “cookbook unpacking” posts). What’s great about vegetarian recipes . . . is that they put vegetables front and center. And – remember – you can always add meat to a vegetarian recipe. Or you can serve meat or fish alongside a vegetarian recipe. Initially, I introduced “meatless Mondays” to our weekly dinner plans. Tom and Brian (who was still living at home then) were skeptical . . . and not thrilled about it, but agreed to try. Now, many years later, both of them still eat and enjoy meat, but they also appreciate and enjoy vegetarian meals — and way more often than just on Mondays. (Just sayin.)
If you’d like more tips about how to add vegetables into your life, try these links:
10 Easy Ways to Eat More Vegetables Every Day
How to Eat More Vegetables: 10 Easy Ways to Get More Veggies Every Day
And if you’re wondering just what “a daily serving” of vegetables and fruits looks like, check this link:
How To Get Your Daily Servings of Vegetables and Fruits: A Visual Guide
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How about you? If you’re a good veggie eater, what tips would you share with others? And if you’re not a good veggie eater, what might help you incorporate more vegetables into your meals?
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April is here.
It’s a great time to start eating more veggies!
Start Your Engines!
I was in college before I realized that broccoli did not have to be served with Cheez-Whiz on top! The only tips I might add are to branch out beyond the meat, starch, and veg menu (I grew up with the same thing) and try to grow a few of your vegetables. Sometimes I just make a big salad and do a couple chicken breasts since John still insists on meat, but he can eat them by themselves or add them to the salad. When you grow your own veg you remember how much work went into them and you always have a refrigerator bursting with vegetables that need to be used!
Fletch and I eat a TON of veggies…all the time…every day! I grew up in a house where my Mom cooked each day and dinner was always a meat, potato, a green veggie, a yellow veggie and a salad. Plus homemade bread and homemade dessert (not sure how I could eat all that back in the day and not be huge!!). Anyway, during college (early 70’s) I ate a lot of vegetarian meals (many friends were vegetarian and things like rice & beans were inexpensive to make). And, bonus, rice & beans together = protein! So, pretty much I’ve always been a veggie consumer. Your tips are all great Kym. I would add that IF you have the space, time and inclination a veggie garden is a great idea too. And the internet is full of delicious veggie recipes (vegetarian and vegan).
The challenge with this is very real in my house. I could happily make an entire meal of vegetables, but Steve can’t. He does not like salads… at all. So I generally eat a salad for lunch. And for dinner, I take the lions share of the veggies I have made and he eats the meat and starch in larger portions. It works, but I could do better! And I agree with Vera on homegrown vegetables… there is nothing like fresh beans and tomatoes. And they are easy to grow on a small scale (even in a container!)
So many caveats these days on which vegetables to eat! Nightshade veggies (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes) are supposedly bad to eat for arthritis. Carrots and corn too sugary. I once had a delightful conversation with an African immigrant cabbie about the merits of Dr. Stephen Gundry’s plant-based diet. We both highly approved except neither one of us was ever going to give up Potatoes! My work-around is rather large daily dinner salads to accompany our meat + starch core meals. They used to be more of the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink variety but now they are mostly just greens (especially spinach!) and onions and reduced-sugar dried cranberries and a handful of nuts. The sweetish dressings and nuts help mollify my greens-hating husband who regards green vegetables as a taste of hell. But at least he does love fruit. (And Dr. Gundry has a lot to say about That – which I pretend I didn’t read.)
Frozen greens are a great way to keep them handy. Like you, I toss them in everything. I have also found that storage and prep are so important . A few years ago I made some fabric storage bags so my veggies are not sitting in plastic. And it’s easier to have a salad if I have done some cutting and prepping earlier in the day. Soup is another way I get my veggies. It does seem to take more work but we do what we need to do.
I do the spinach trick as welll!
We did a lot of frozen vegetables growing up. I think it was probably because they were both cheaper and faster to prepare. But I love veggies now, and they make up most of my diet. Most weekdays, I have a big chopped salad of a cucumber, a bell pepper, and a tomato. Sometimes I throw in some chickpeas. We have some form of vegetable at every meal, and we’re big fans of roasting veggies (carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, squash, etc.). I’m trying to eat less meat in general, so I love the variety I can get with plants.
When I was a kid most of our vegetables came from a can in the winter and from the garden or Farmer’s Market in the summer. I think roasted vegetables are the best and recommend Ina Garten’s recipe for Roasted Ratatouille, it is delicious!
I grew up on canned veg, too… I still shudder when I remember those gray-not-green peas! One of the only times I ever got in trouble at the dinner table as a kid was when I got caught sliding them off my plate & trying to hide them under the rim. Ghastly things. Roasting veg is a game changer! I love eating salads… but I sure hate making them. I’ve decided against growing tomatoes this year — since we’re without patrol cats, the chipmunks have been getting the lion’s share! I grow a lot of herbs and zucchini, which we eat a lot (limited area/conditions for much else). I love potatoes but try to limit them to a few times a month; Rusty almost always has rice (I only eat it when it’s fresh); we ALWAYS have a veg and I usually take quite a bit, especially when there’s no starch. The artichokes @ the store have been pretty good lately!
I am a VERY good veggie eater. Not to say I don’t like meat, but veggies are usually front and center.
Ditto on your post and the suggestion to grow a vegetable garden. Growing, drying, and using herbs from my herb garden adds flavor. I would also suggest shopping at local farmers’ markets for fresh veggies during the growing season. I cook mostly vegetarian meals and season them with herbs from my herb garden. I generally roast or stir-fry veggies. Hummus ( I make my own) is not just for dipping. I have used it for thickener in soups, as a topping on a baked potato, a salad of greens, or nacho/taco plate, or a bowl.
Count me in as another hug fan of vegetables! I think the only vegetable I don’t care for are lima beans. Adding more vegetables (and fruits) to meals and snacks is also a way better approach than the diet mentality of cutting things out. Baby spinach is a favorite of mine but I do sometimes struggle with using it up before it gets icky. One tip I’ll share: when bell peppers are on sale, I buy a bunch and chop them up and keep them in the freezer. They can be added to a recipe without defrosting and are perfect for a lot of soups, one pot meals, etc.
What an interesting discussion! I grew up eating lots of vegetables (mostly frozen, except in the summer; my mom’s garden was prolific). We eat a lot of salads and a lot of roasted vegetables, and sometimes have roasted vegetables on our salad 😉 it’s what’s for dinner 4-5 nights a week.