Simple Ways to Cook Your Veggies
Increasing our vegetable consumption may seem daunting, especially when we don’t know where to start. It helps to have more ideas and options for how you can make vegetables.
Last week’s article talked about easy ways to incorporate more veggies into your day. One point discussed was “try them different ways.” Learning different vegetable cooking methods lets you have more variety. They can add a lot of flavor to your meals as certain cooking methods enhances the taste of vegetables we as well increase the availability of its nutrients and minerals.
Here are 3 simple ways you can cook your vegetables:
Steaming
Steaming softens vegetables. This makes them easier to digest so your body can absorb all that nutritional goodness more easily. To steam vegetables, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add an inch or two of water to your saucepan. Insert the steamer basket. The surface of the water should be under the basket. When the water boils, add the vegetables and reduce heat. Steam vegetables until tender. My favorite vegetable to steam is broccoli. It is the right tenderness and keeps the vibrant green color. Other good vegetables to steam are cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, leafy greens, and green beans.
Roasting
Roasting vegetables maintains their heart-healthy fiber and vitamins and minerals for fighting disease. You will want to roast vegetables at high temperatures such as 400-425 degrees for crisp textures. For best results, wash your vegetables, then dry, lightly coat with olive oil, and sprinkle your favorite seasonings. Place the veggies on a baking pan and roast uncovered for approximately 15-20 minutes. I really like to roast Brussels sprouts and asparagus. The flavors pop with the right seasonings. Other great vegetables to roast are zucchini, potatoes, carrots, squash, and peppers.
Sautéing
Sautéing is a basic cooking technique essential to many recipes. It helps to maintain as many nutrients as possible. To sauté vegetables, cut them into evenly sized pieces and add them to a hot pan coated with a small amount of oil or other fat, as the oil helps to lock in the nutrients. Stir just enough to make sure all sides get covered in oil, and cook only until the vegetables are tender when you poke them with a fork. I really like to sauté kale with just a little bit of oil and salt and pepper. It has great flavor and is the perfect side to many main dishes. I also like to sauté vegetables into eggs such as spinach, peppers, and onions.
Consider implementing these cooking ideas to increase your vegetable intake. As an extra incentive to help you develop the habit of increasing your overall vegetable intake, sign up for our free Eat Yo’ Veggies Challenge. We just started so it isn’t too late to join.
Eating your veggies does not need to be daunting, you just need the right plan and mindset.
To learn more and for more accountability sign up for a call with me.
Veronica
