It can feel hard to try and factor vegetables into our meals every day. Somewhere along the way it has been made out to be a chore or a necessary evil that must be tolerated. The truth is that they are really good for you, and with a bit of planning they can easily fit in to your eating plan.
So, let's add some fibre, some flavour and get vege-tastic!
Cook What You Like to Eat
Vegetables are packed with delicious natural flavours. Many of us grew up eating a vegetable component that had been boiled to oblivion – all the flavour having been left in the pot.
Different cooking styles will produce different flavours and textures in your veges – pumpkin will yield an increased natural sweetness when roasted – when you sauté courgette in bacon fat, it will create a delicious smoky taste. Carrots and peas should be tender to the bite, not squidgy goop.
Some people may not like pumpkin, for instance, but if you whizz it up with some cream, a little chicken stock and some spices, it becomes a sweet, silky pumpkin soup.
Make Use of Frozen Vegetables
Freezer friends! Frozen vegetables are often picked at their peak and will last for a long time. One of the great advantages of a lot of frozen veges is that you can use them in your cooking in the same way you would use their fresh counterparts.
They are nutrient dense, convenient and help you to reduce waste, as they keep for way longer!
Start Your Day With a Vege Boost!
Vegetables aren't just for dinner! If you aren't fasting, why not have a pumpkin-loaded omelette, or a breakfast salad? Leftover cauliflower-base keto pizza can give you a great vege hit in the morning, while also feeling like a naughty treat.
Prepare Before You Need
Prepping veges ahead of time is easy and convenient. You can do things like washing and bagging lettuce to use in a quick salad; have pre-sliced carrots on hand for snacks; roast a whole lot of hardy vegetables, such as pumpkin, cauliflower and broccoli so you always have something full of flavour to add to a meal.
Play Swapsies
Lettuce wrapped burgers have become increasingly popular recently, but there are many more swaps you can make for traditional ingredients.
Spaghetti squash can be used as an alternative to noodles in everything from a pasta dish, to Asian inspired curry bowls. Cauliflower rice can replace traditional rice in just about any dish, and, while we're on the topic of cauliflower, you can use it as an amazing pizza base!
