Four easy steps to eating more vegetables
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- October 18, 2009
- 966
The first step to help you eat more vegetables is to raise their importance in the menu planning process. Think about the last meal that you planned? Did you decide to have brussels sprouts for dinner and then decide to have chicken with it? Probably not. Traditionally, most people plan their main entrée and then decide on a vegetable. Challenge yourself to plan your menus the other way around. Decide on the vegetables that you will serve and then figure out what compliments those vegetables. Enlist the help of your family and ask each person to pick a vegetable or two that they want to enjoy this week. Involving kids in meal planning and even preparation can be a great way to get them more interested in eating their vegetables. They may not eat all their spinach every time, but they may be at least a little more willing to try something green and leafy if they planned the menu.
The second step is to make sure your kitchen is well-stocked with vegetables that are easy to prepare. Be sure that you have no less than five different vegetables in your grocery cart every week. You might even need to make an extra visit to your grocery store or farmers market in the middle of the week. Choose fresh, frozen or canned vegetables without added salt. Pre-cut vegetables and bagged salads are more expensive but may be well worth the cost if you are short on time. Once you have planned and purchased your vegetables, keep them where you can see them. When you open your refrigerator, green and leafy foods are the first things you should see. So put the cookies in the crisper drawer and move the broccoli front and center.
The third step is to make vegetables tasty. You can do this through new recipes, fun dips or creative seasonings. If you usually steam or boil cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or green beans, try roasting them instead or lightly sauté fresh broccoli, cabbage or zucchini. Add a dash of hot sauce to your steamed broccoli or sauté slices of fresh garlic with your green beans to add variety and spice up boring dishes. Dips are another way to get everyone in the house to eat more vegetables. You can choose a low fat prepared dip or something new like salsa or hummus. Kids are generally big fans of dipping foods in sauces so try offering carrot sticks or red pepper slices along with the chips and salsa and never forget the power of ketchup. Kids will dip green beans, carrots and peas in ketchup. It may not suit Mom and Dad’s tastes but if it works, a little extra ketchup won’t hurt.
The fourth and probably most effective step is to add vegetables to other recipes that you already enjoy. For example, baby food carrots or squash can be mixed into chili or spaghetti sauce for a nutrition boost and you will never know they are there. Fresh, finely diced peppers, carrots and celery can be mixed into your favorite meatloaf or try replacing a layer of noodles in your favorite lasagna recipes with slices of zucchini, eggplant and yellow squash for a nutrient rich family favorite. You can also add vegetable toppings to your favorite pizza, stir chopped, fresh spinach into scrambled eggs and add lots of carrots, celery and onions to your favorite bean soup recipe. Vegetables, especially frozen broccoli, makes a great addition to almost any casserole recipe like macaroni and cheese or tuna noodle casserole. Get creative, start mixing and you may be surprised to find some new favorite flavor combinations.
The American diet offers so many choices that vegetables can get lost in a sea of less nutritious foods. By incorporating these four simple strategies into your shopping, cooking and eating, you can get your kids, your spouse and maybe even yourself to eat more vegetables.
Cheryl L. Graffagnino MS, RD, LD is a registered dietitian in Columbus. Send your questions or comments to cheryl@eatsmartwithcheryl.com.