Healthy Cooking Hacks: Spruce up Your Veggies

Remember as a kid hating the thought of eating vegetables? Whether it was the taste of the non-flavor food group or its unappealing form, that food group just didn’t make the cut for our youthful appetite. But strangely it seems the older we get the more our taste buds have craved for them. As adults we know the importance of eating vitamin-enriched foods like veggies. Even if your taste buds haven’t warmed up to veggies, there are ways around that! The CGS team is sharing a few healthy cooking hacks to help you spruce up your veggies and get that much-needed nutrition.

5 healthy cooking hacks to spruce up your veggies…

Pasta Craze

When vegetables come to mind, the last thing most people think is veggie noodles. Vegetables tend to look so bland and boring. If presentation is important for your appetite try making some of your favorite pastas with vegetables. Zucchini and other squash vegetables make for great noodle substitutes! You’ll still get the same good nutrients of your veggies while enjoying every bite!

Drink Them on the Go

Some of us live a very fast lifestyle that requires us to always be on the go. Who says that just because you’re a busy bee you can’t get your full dose of veggies too? Thank goodness for blenders, we can turn our favorite (and not-so-favorite) veggies from crunchy to liquid in minutes. When drinking your veggies you’re able to add other ingredients to spruce up the flavor. By simply adding your favorite juice or Greek yogurt you’ve turned veggie- yuck into veggie-yum!

Bake Them Up

Baking your veggies is a yummy and quick alternative to serving vegetables. Almost all veggies are able to be baked and they taste great after you’ve used your desired seasonings. Depending on how crisp or soft you prefer your baked veggies, either way they will taste great. 

Try it: Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet of your favorite veggie and bake in the oven at around 375° F about 40 minutes—it’s delicious! Whether you want them as a snack or a side dish baked veggies will have your taste buds wanting more, and you aren’t as limited with how much you can make.

Mix and Match

Typically when we see vegetables in the grocery store we don’t think of all the creative ways we can enjoy them.  Vegetables have been linked to improving our health, so why not double the improvement by adding fruit to the mix?

Mixing and matching veggies and fruit together is fun and colorful. Combining the two together deliver the best of both worlds. Mixing and matching veggies and fruit is a great source of getting your daily vitamin intake. Some vegetables lack in flavor so pairing them with your favorite fruit can help add some flavor for your taste buds. This is a great option for snacking!

Stay Cheesy

We aren’t just referring to our excitement either! Adding cheese to your favorite veggies gives it a kick like no other. With the various kinds of cheeses out there, there are limitless possibilities when cheering up your veggies. Just by using a moderate amount of cheese, you can change a bland broccoli dish into a cheesy magnificent side.  Some veggies paired great with cheese include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, carrots, and green beans to name a few.

It’s never too late to have a change of heart and start eating those veggies. Want to ease into healthy eating? Check out the article How to Get Start with Eating Clean for some tips! How do you like to spruce up your veggies? Have you tried eating veggies with any of the recommendations above? If so, how did you like them? Post a comment below to share some of your veggie-sprucing ideas!

-The CGS Team