If you’ve ever tried to lose weight by following any type of diet they often have two things in common…. cut calories by using low fat everything and eat more vegetables. Here are 6 easy ways to prepare vegetables to make them more flavorful.
People tell me all the time that they HATE vegetables.
They have spent a lifetime of trying to eat poorly cooked vegetables topped with tasteless fat free dressings, faux butter or plain vegetables that have been boiled to death. Is it any wonder why people hate them?
I know I sure did when I was served vegetables like this. But I discovered a few tricks along the way that can make vegetables enjoyable and delicious.
Vegetables provide you with fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants that the body needs. While you may not eat certain vegetables on the keto diet due to their carb count you want the ones you do eat to be tasty and flavorful.
Try using these 6 easy ways to cook vegetables to improve their flavor and texture.
Tip 1: Vary Your Cooking Techniques. Don’t Overcook!
Don’t just toss your veggies in a pot, add water and boil them until they are a few shades duller in color and limp as a wet noodle.
Most fresh vegetables should be steamed/sauteed for 5 to 10 minutes until just tender. If you hate veggies cooked one way then try them another.
Grilling is a great way to cook your vegetables.
How about roasting in the oven?
Steaming perhaps?
I grew up with a father who boiled the life out of spinach on a regular basis. I thought I hated the stuff until I tried a recipe where fresh spinach was cooked in a pan long enough to just wilt the leaves. Then I discovered I actually enjoyed spinach!
Try a different cooking method and you may discover the same thing.
Tip 2: Eat Your Vegetables Raw
Don’t like them cooked? Then try them raw.
Sometimes cooking changes the flavor of the vegetable or makes it stronger. Broccoli and cabbage fall into this category. Yet, when eaten raw, they don’t have that over powering flavor that is a turn off to some people.
Me? I love raw carrots but don’t care for them cooked. Why not give raw vegetables a try to see if you enjoy them.
Tip 3: Give Them A Flavor Boost!
Plain vegetables are ok. But toss some butter with fresh herbs, a citrus based vinaigrette, a homemade dressing or some sauce on top and watch your family gobble them up. No one likes bland vegetables.
Here’s some herb and spice combo’s that taste great together:
- Squash or pumpkin : cinnamon and/or nutmeg
- Summer squash or zucchini: basil, garlic and oregano
- Broccoli: oregano, basil and sundried tomatoes or garlic and crushed red pepper or ginger, garlic and some orange zest
- Green Beans: oregano and basil or garlic and onion or tarragon and butter, onions and thyme
- Cabbage: butter, garlic and caraway seeds
- Carrots: cumin
- Spinach: basil and garlic or dill and lemon or bacon and balsamic vinegar
Tip 4: Presentation is everything
Are you serving up chicken and cauliflower mashed potatoes with a side of something else that is almost the same color?
It doesn’t look too appetizing when everything on your plate is pretty much the same color.
Try mixing various vegetables together to brighten up your plate and make it more appealing as well as nutritious. Veggies are made colorful by the types of antioxidants they contain. Not only does eating a variety of vegetables (and fruits) in a range of colors keep you healthy but they also make the food on your plate look good too.
Along with cooking different colored vegetables you may also want to cook them in different shapes. Broccoli spears one meal, florets the next and then maybe a shredded broccoli slaw the next time you serve it. Cucumber slices and then cucumber spears.
Tip 5: Cook and Try Something New
If I let my family decide which vegetables to eat we would be stuck eating potatoes, corn and broccoli every night. Glad I don’t let them choose!
Instead, I make one vegetable that I know they will eat and one that I’d like them to try eating. I try to make the vegetables that they enjoy in a limited amount. This way there’s one serving for each person so they are more likely to try the other vegetable.
Sometimes this doesn’t work and they pass on the other veggie. Often they end up trying something new only to discover they actually like it. Don’t be surprised if you have to introduce them to the new vegetable several times and in different ways before they end up finding that they like it.
Don’t worry if you have left over vegetables. Try putting the extras in a freezer bag and when you have enough of them make a delicious vegetable soup. They make not like they served in one form but may enjoy them in another.
Tip 6: Don’t Forget The Fat
We often think of fat as adding calories but it does much more than that. Fat adds taste. Sure butter adds a buttery taste to food but any type of fat will add to the taste and flavor of food. It does this by allowing the particles that give the food it’s flavor to spread in your mouth. This is why fat free foods are often bland and tasteless.
Let’s not forget that fat also helps fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) be absorbed into your body. You don’t have to cook like Paula Deen and add a stick of butter to every dish. Even adding a teaspoon or two can boost the flavor.
Try mixing olive oil with Dijon mustard or balsamic vinegar and drizzle over your veggies.
Try toasted sesame seed oil for it’s delicious taste.
If you think you hate vegetables why not give some of these tips a try and see if you don’t change your mind.
Why not try some of these recipes:
If you are looking for other low-carb/keto recipe ideas, be sure to check out our growing Recipe Index full of low-carb/keto recipes!
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Inspiring! I’m going to try roasting veggies in my oven and then putting them in my salad!
Hi Rachel, Roasted veggies taste great in salad! I love adding in roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli. And, if you get a chance, you have to give grilled romaine lettuce a try. It’s incredible!