clever ways to sneak more vegetables in your diet
15 Clever Ways to Sneak More Vegetables in Your Diet
Vegetables have been shown to prevent lots of health problems, but eating them can feel like a chore. This Buzzle article gives you some tips for getting them in your diet without all the fuss.
Clever Tip
Puree the vegetables or cut them into tiny pieces before adding them to a recipe. That way, they will be less obviously seen and picky eaters won't even realize that they are having a vegetable they dislike.
If you've ever tried to feed vegetables to a child, you know there's something unappealing about them. Even though they taste good, sometimes it's easier and more fun to eat something that isn't as good for us. Vegetables are a vital part of a healthy diet, though. They have been proven to prevent many diseases, including cancer and heart disease. One of the best things you can do for your family and for yourself is to ensure that everyone is getting a serving or two of vegetables each day. What's a home-chef to do, though, when no one wants to eat those good-for-you greens? Here are some great ideas for getting everyone to eat their vegetables, even if they are the pickiest of eaters.
Cakes
Carrot Cake
Vegetables can be smothered in a cake batter of any flavor to turn them into a delicious treat. For example, to make a carrot cake, take granulated sugar, oil, and eggs in a bowl and beat the mixture until blended. To this, add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. Beat for a minute. Now stir in with carrots and nuts.
Pancakes
Pumpkin Pancake
A lot of vegetables such as pumpkin, tomato, potato, zucchini, kale, squash, mushroom and more can be used to make pancakes. For instance, to make a pumpkin pancake, mix some milk, canned pumpkin puree, melted butter, and an egg in a bowl. Now add this mixture to the batter containing all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, and ground cloves. Melt some butter in a pan over medium heat and make pancakes by pouring in the batter.
Vegetable Juices
Cucumber Juice
Beetroot Juice
Vegetable juices are made primarily of blended vegetables or vegetable powders. Fruits like apples or grapes can be added to the juices to improve their flavor. They are often touted as low-sugar alternatives to fruit juices and are loaded with essential vitamins. Vegetables such as kale, cucumbers, and beets are some great choices for juices, as they have a good flavor and are loaded with nutrients. Other veggie choices for juices are wheatgrass, carrots, celery, and cabbage.
With Dips or Sauces
Vegetables In Garlic Dip
Yogurt Sauce With Fresh Vegetables
Another way of having vegetables is dipping them in a quick and complementary sauce or dip. You can cut the vegetables and have them raw or cooked. If you prefer them cooked, microwave the vegetables of your choice and season them with salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, cumin, oregano, and oil. Prepare a creamy and delicious yogurt, garlic dip or a vegetable sauce of your choice. Now dip the veggies in it and enjoy your meal.
Pizza Toppings
Pizza With Vegetable Topping
Pizzas are a great vehicle for carrying a pile of veggies. Vegetable toppings give an extra taste to your pizza. Trick yourself by adding veggies of your choice along with some you don't like. Practically any vegetable like arugula, tomato, peppers, or roasted squash can be added to a pizza topping.
Pasta
Pasta With Green Vegetables
Another thing that pairs naturally with vegetables is pasta. There are many creative ways to combine them. You can add loads of greens and vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and mushrooms to the pasta. Boil or roast the veggies and pour them atop cooked pasta. For additional flavor, you can sauté some olive oil and a few cloves of minced garlic with the vegetables and mix well just before serving.
Veggies with Eggs
Omelette With Spinach And Green Peas
Omelette With Vegetables And Parmesan
If you're making an omelette, or an egg scramble, add in some greens such as chopped spinach, kale, or collards when the cooking is done.
Grill or Barbeque
Vegetables On Grill
Vegetables In A Grill Pan
Grilling vegetables makes them taste better. The top choices of vegetables for grilling include green beans, eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, corn, potato, and asparagus. Cut the vegetables in a way such that a skewer can be run through them for grilling. Corn can be put directly on the grill grate.
To turn them downright magical, grilled potatoes can be rubbed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, grilled asparagus can be whipped up with a little garlic aioli, zucchini can be marinated with balsamic and basil or mint before grilling, pesto can be added to grilled tomatoes, eggplant can be marinated with balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, and olive oil before grilling, and green beans can be marinated with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper before grilling.
Soups/Stews
Vegetable Soup With Parsnips
Bowl Of Pumpkin Soup
Vegetables can be used in soups and stews to add a punch to the taste. You can add a can of puréed tomatoes, squash, or potato to the chicken soup. This will make a delicious soup and you will get a chance to sneak other vegetables in it. In a stew recipe, you can add carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash purée. Another way of making a healthy soup is by mixing veggies like beans, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini.
Smoothie
Kale Smoothie
Pumpkin Smoothie
The freshest and fastest way to get your veggies is in a smoothie. Smoothies are an excellent way to get the nutrients you need. Most smoothies make great meals, and nothing beats a cold smoothie on a hot summer day.
Start with a liquid base like juice or milk. Coconut milk is a great source of calcium, and will make your smoothie taste like an island drink. Add some protein like peanut or almond butter. You can also add a handful of nuts or seeds. Then, add some fruits and vegetables of your choice. Your smoothie might not end up being the most appetizing color if you include a few bright-colored veggies and fruits, but will taste amazing. Blend it together with some ice and drink your vegetables.
Orange veggies like pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and iron. They also add color, texture, and sweetness to a smoothie. Spinach, kale, broccoli, and green peppers are also great options for a smoothie as they are rich in essential nutrients needed for your daily diet. You can combine the greens with a sweet fruit to enhance the flavor, making it easier to consume them.
Broccoli With Melted Cheese
Broccoli With Melted Cheese
If you're not worried about calories, smothering your vegetables with something more delicious is a great way to tempt people to eat them. Melted cheese on broccoli is amazing. First, steam the broccoli over simmering water. Then pour melted butter over broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Now, sprinkle cheese and microwave until the cheese melts. You can use any type of cheese such as fontana, cheddar, or goat cheese. Enjoy the treat.
Salad with Ranch Dressing
Tossed Salad With Ranch Dressing
Ranch dressing on salads can make chowing down on those leafy greens less of a chore. Salads can be loaded with fresh greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, and more. Combine all the vegetables of your choice in a large bowl. Toss them with enough ranch dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. You can also dice vegetables and include them in a pasta salad or a tuna or chicken salad.
Sandwiches, Burgers, Wraps and More
Wraps With Vegetable Filling
Burger With Vegetable Filling
You can add a serving of vegetables in-between layers of lasagna, sandwiches, wraps, or burgers. You could even hide vegetables in your burgers by using ground beef, dicing the vegetables really small, and making your own patties with the veggies tucked in.
Bribing does the Trick
When all else fails, offer a bribe to eat those greens. If you have an entire spinach salad, let yourself have a piece of chocolate. If your kids eat all their broccoli, let them have a small scoop of ice cream. Treat yourself with a dish of your choice after overcoming your dislike for a certain vegetable.
Plan Veg
One common reason to not include vegetables in recipes is the time it takes to cut them before cooking. A smart way out is to cut veggies and stock them up or buy pre-cut ones. Plan to learn new recipes that include vegetables.
You can even decide a day of the week/month when you will include a vegetable you don't normally do, or a veggie that you or your kids dislike. Decide a day of the week when you will go meatless or a week every month when you will have only vegetarian food. That way you will be including more vegetables in your diet.
Eating your vegetables isn't as hard as you thought. All you have to do is hide them in a dish or a smoothie or add something to make them more flavorful. Before you know it, you and your kids will be craving for the dishes that contain vegetables, and you won't be able to keep them in the house.