Great ways to get your vegetables in.

youtube! · 16-09-2014 4:14pm #1

I just thought I would start a thread trying to get new ideas on how you like to get those sometimes awful tasting veggies into your diet.

I like many others find it not very palatable to consume veggies but I am well aware of how vital they are to my diet.

So on that note I will put forward 2 simple tricks I have found to make eating them a whole lot easier. I didn't invent these but saw them here and there on the TV or the net in recent times and believe me they work. Please add your own ideas.

1) Spinach. God I despise the stuff...but here is how I got around the awful taste.

Take 1 small teaspoon of crunchy or smooth organic peanut butter and add a small squeeze of honey, now chop up a small amount of a red chilli and sprinkle it on top. Now (and this is the genius ingredient!) sprinkle on a small amount of CHINESE 5 SPICE. Now add some water and a drop of olive oil and mix it all about. When it is a creamy texture your done. Now simply dip your raw spinach into this delicious dip and enjoy the benefits...before anyone says it I know honey and peanut butter are not very healthy foods but they are not the worst either and the whole recipe comes in at around 120 cals so not that bad.

2) Kale . Hate this in equal measure but this is a genius way to get it into you.....

KALE CHIPS!! This is even simpler, just take a bunck of Kale and place it on some grease proof paper, now sprinkle on a drop of olive oil, add some sea salt or kosher is even better if you have it, bung it in the oven for 3-4 minutes, what you end up with it a crunchy tasty snack that is actually sort of addictive but in a good way. Give them a try and let me know what you think and please add your own suggestions!

Alf Veedersane · 16-09-2014 5:33pm

Fork, ftw.

thegreatiam · 16-09-2014 6:46pm

butter.

90% of the time veg tastes bad cos its cooked bad. fry them in a bit of butter and they usually taste a lot better

Im a recent anti veg person who has discovered that cooking them differently increases palatability 100 fold

even a few months ago I couldnt stomach broccoli and spinach. Started to steam frozen blocks of spinach and broccoli over some salted water, then add a knob of butter, salt, pepper and paprika and now I eat them with most meals.

carrots in a hot pan with olive oil and melted butter. covered until cooked, sprinkled with a little cinnamon taste great.

a few Christmases ago i tried sprouts for the first time in about 15 years. sliced and fried in butter with crispy bacon bits. was sooooo much nicer than choking boiled sprouts down with Christmas dinner

plus cooking veggies in butter means that the fat soluble vitamins in them aren't wasted and the water soluble vitamins aren't left in the pan.

youtube! · 16-09-2014 7:00pm

Some great ideas there greatiam! I must try that last bacon and sprout one... My mouth is already watering at the prospect! Keep em coming folks!

tayto lover · 16-09-2014 7:09pm

thegreatiam wrote: »

butter.

90% of the time veg tastes bad cos its cooked bad. fry them in a bit of butter and they usually taste a lot better

Im a recent anti veg person who has discovered that cooking them differently increases palatability 100 fold

even a few months ago I couldnt stomach broccoli and spinach. Started to steam frozen blocks of spinach and broccoli over some salted water, then add a knob of butter, salt, pepper and paprika and now I eat them with most meals.

carrots in a hot pan with olive oil and melted butter. covered until cooked, sprinkled with a little cinnamon taste great.

a few Christmases ago i tried sprouts for the first time in about 15 years. sliced and fried in butter with crispy bacon bits. was sooooo much nicer than choking boiled sprouts down with Christmas dinner

plus cooking veggies in butter means that the fat soluble vitamins in them aren't wasted and the water soluble vitamins aren't left in the pan.

Does all that butter and oil not defeat the purpose of eating veggies though?

Penny Tration · 16-09-2014 7:29pm

Make soups. Stick spinach into smoothies. Drown veg in spices.

thegreatiam · 16-09-2014 7:30pm

in what way? butter and oil are both ways of getting fat into your diet and you need fat to live.

plus certain vitamins, a d e and k i think, + others, are fat soluble. so you can absorb them and store them when you cook the veg in butter. or the vitamin is simply lost

thegreatiam wrote: »

plus cooking veggies in butter means that the fat soluble vitamins in them aren't wasted and the water soluble vitamins aren't left in the pan.

tayto lover · 16-09-2014 7:32pm

thegreatiam wrote: »

in what way? butter and oil are both ways of getting fat into your diet and you need fat to live.

plus certain vitamins, a d e and k i think, + others, are fat soluble. so you can absorb them and store them when you cook the veg in butter. or the vitamin is simply lost

Read somewhere that butter was bad for us.

thegreatiam · 16-09-2014 7:38pm

tayto lover wrote: »

Read somewhere that butter was bad for us.

real butter isnt. read in many more places that real butter and most oils are good sources of required fats.

basically avoid any fat that is man made or has multiple ingredients.
so margarine is out, real butter with nothing added is in

vegetable oil is out, coconut oil + olive oil are in

Joe Doe · 16-09-2014 7:54pm

Natural butters, and most oils esp. any nut based ones, are much better than plastic additive laden margarines.
+ these oils help keep the old grey matter on top form. Olive oil is good too, at lower temps.

If your food has been assembled and stored in a factory - not so good.
For the last 100,000 generations (before farming) mankind(s) has picked, dug and killed his food, and eat it shortly afterwards.
A quick blend or cold pressing of mixed greens and freezing is another option which seems to keep nutrients in tact.

Report today said sugar not salt is cause of high BP, can't go wrong with a dash of North Atlanitc sea salt on top.

youtube! · 16-09-2014 8:14pm

I love my real grass fed butter that is for sure, the only thing I would caution however is to use it in moderation, a 100 grams is over 700 calories! So a decent amount without saturating the veg in it is the way forward.

mad m · 16-09-2014 8:29pm

Is Supervalu own brand real butter rebranded Kerrygold?

youtube! · 16-09-2014 8:36pm

mad m wrote: »

Is Supervalu own brand real butter rebranded Kerrygold?

I reckon it wouldnt be too far off anyway read the label you are looking for 100% real butter with a little salt AND NOTHING ELSE.

mad m · 16-09-2014 8:38pm

youtube! wrote: »

I reckon it wouldnt be too far off anyway read the label you are looking for 100% real butter with a little salt AND NOTHING ELSE.

Dunnes own brand says 100% butter(milk) cream&salt...

Alf Veedersane · 16-09-2014 8:42pm

mad m wrote: »

Is Supervalu own brand real butter rebranded Kerrygold?

Don't think so. Well, it wasn't but that might have changed in last year or two

Mink · 17-09-2014 12:02pm

I love my veg but it's hard to get it into my toddler so I grate veg into sauces.

For instance, spag bol sauce, after I've browned the mince, I fry chopped onion & garlic and the grated veg (carrot, pepper, courgette, mushrooms) then I do the rest of the sauce (red wine, chopped tom, tom puree, herbs etc) and while it's simmering I throw in some shredded spinach leaves at the end, so they wilt just enough without cooking all the goodness out of them.

Point being that you can grate many veg into just about anything and they are more or less hidden.

Alf Veedersane · 17-09-2014 12:06pm

Mink wrote: »

For instance, spag bol sauce, after I've browned the mince, I fry chopped onion & garlic and the grated veg (carrot, pepper, courgette, mushrooms) then I do the rest of the sauce (red wine, chopped tom, tom puree, herbs etc) and while it's simmering I throw in some shredded spinach leaves at the end, so they wilt just enough without cooking all the goodness out of them.

As an aside, unless you're draining off the sauce or something, the goodness of the spinach will be ratined in the sauce regardless of how long the leaves are simmering with the sauce.

sillysocks · 17-09-2014 9:13pm

Some receipes for kids from Anabel Karmel are great - they try to get veggies in without putting kids off so are often hidden. This sauce is great for pasta (although I leave out about half the water as I find it gets too runny then).

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/vegetable-sauce

rubadub · 18-09-2014 1:42pm

Mink wrote: »

Point being that you can grate many veg into just about anything and they are more or less hidden.

+1, curry sauces can mask the taste of stronger tasting veg.

frag420 · 18-09-2014 2:25pm

sillysocks wrote: »

Some receipes for kids from Anabel Karmel are great - they try to get veggies in without putting kids off so are often hidden. This sauce is great for pasta (although I leave out about half the water as I find it gets too runny then).

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/vegetable-sauce

Its when I read posts like this I feel like a 34 yr old kid for not liking veg!! Having sad that I eat more now than I did growing up. I love some roast carrot, roast parsnip with roast chicken. I now put broccoli into burritos etc but I hate the stalk part of it so usually trim that of before cooking. Any other suggestions for roasting broccoli as I dont eat butter?

Mr. CooL ICE · 18-09-2014 3:21pm

I sometimes roast my broccoli in olive oil and goose fat with salt and pepper. About 25 mins at 180C is enough to make it crispy and easy to consume a whole head in one sitting.

Read either here or in the cooking forum that you can roast in olive oil with some chopped garlic and lemon zest. Once done, you sprinkle the broccoli with parmesan shavings and the juice of 1/2 lemon.

mickman · 18-09-2014 4:03pm

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

I sometimes roast my broccoli in olive oil and goose fat with salt and pepper. About 25 mins at 180C is enough to make it crispy and easy to consume a whole head in one sitting.

Read either here or in the cooking forum that you can roast in olive oil with some chopped garlic and lemon zest. Once done, you sprinkle the broccoli with parmesan shavings and the juice of 1/2 lemon.

i would say that roasting broccoli at that temp for 25 mins removes 100% of its nutrients

conzy · 18-09-2014 4:09pm

Where do they go?

Alf Veedersane · 18-09-2014 4:10pm

mickman wrote: »

i would say that roasting broccoli at that temp for 25 mins removes 100% of its nutrients

There is no perfect way to prepare vegetables. Raw might retain more nutrients but it doesn't necessarily mean that all of those nutrients will be available to the body.

There will always be trade-offs when you bring in heat.

mickman · 18-09-2014 9:41pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

There is no perfect way to prepare vegetables. Raw might retain more nutrients but it doesn't necessarily mean that all of those nutrients will be available to the body.

There will always be trade-offs when you bring in heat.

Yes but steaming will hear the veg gently as opposed to roasting it at high temperatures for long periods

Alf Veedersane · 18-09-2014 10:58pm

mickman wrote: »

Yes but steaming will hear the veg gently as opposed to roasting it at high temperatures for long periods

Steaming causes some nutrients to leach out as well though.

mickman · 19-09-2014 6:48am

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Steaming causes some nutrients to leach out as well though.

Yes but not as much

Mr. CooL ICE · 19-09-2014 9:32am

mickman wrote: »

i would say that roasting broccoli at that temp for 25 mins removes 100% of its nutrients

I hear 73% of statistics are made up.

ch750536 · 19-09-2014 9:45am

Adults have food tolerances like this:

Love --->

Dont Mind --->

Will Still Eat --->

Hate, not eating --->

END of foods

but for kids...
Love --->
Dont Mind --->
Will Still Eat --->
Hate, not eating --->

END of foods

So if they don't love it, they hate it. Not many people love broccoli but as adults we tolerate it. If it takes months of nuked oven broccoli to break this rigid structure of love or hate then fine. It leads to kids tolerating steamed broccoli much quicker, so is a good thing.

Alf Veedersane · 19-09-2014 10:14am

mickman wrote: »

Yes but not as much

Right. So you've measured exactly how much for both?

Blacktie. · 19-09-2014 3:35pm

mickman wrote: »

Yes but not as much

I could steam vegetables and not eat them getting 0% of the nutrients or I could roast the **** out of them and get whatever percentage is left. I think option 2 is better.

Great ways to get your vegetables in.

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