5 Ways to Make Veggies Taste Amazing

Hi, I’m Robena and I’m a lover of vegetables 🙋🏾‍♀️

Some people think I’m crazy. Some think I’m lying. Others make the oh-so-hilarious joke that veggies are ‘rabbit food’.

Personally, I think that if you don’t like vegetables, that is because you just haven’t had them done right!

I will concede that the veggies that can be enjoyed raw and plain are few and far between. Most of them require a little bit of love. But I tell you, man-oh-man is it worth it!

A colourful plate of perfectly oiled and spiced assortment of veggies that are cooked to perfection...it is truly a beautiful thing.

Here are 5 ways to take your veggie game up to the next level:

1. Cook them

I think the biggest mistake that people make when trying to incorporate more vegetables into their diet is throw together a bunch of iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and bell peppers, call it a salad, and force-feed it to themselves while hating every moment.

I love veggies and even I think that sounds miserable. Cooking them is key to bringing out the wonderful textures and flavours.

And I don’t mean steam them!!

If you like steamed veggies, by all means, go for it. But there are so many other ways to eat them that I personally wouldn’t resort to steaming unless I was in a rush or had minimal supplies.

Instead, you can:

• Roast in the oven

• Grill on the BBQ

• Sautee in a pan

• Stir-fry in a wok

• Air-fry

• Utilize them in a soup or chilli or stew

You might be concerned that cooking vegetables will compromise their nutritional value. While it is true that some nutrients, like Vitamin C, will be lost in high heat, there are actually health benefits to cooking as well.

Cooking essentially 'jump-starts' some of the breaking down process and so can make high-fibre vegetables easier to digest and allow for some nutrients to be better absorbed. Cooking also enhances the bioavailability of some antioxidants.

The take-away as always is to incorporate a variety of both raw and cooked fruits and vegetables to maximize nutritional intake.

2. Have variety

Including different types of veggies in a meal will provide you a wonderful variety of textures and flavours, which really add to the enjoyment factor.

The colours of fruits and vegetables are actually a solid indicator of their nutritional content so aim for a beautiful rainbow plate.

3. Use oil

Another common mistake is not using oil or fat. People think fat is ‘bad’ for them or that they offer too many calories. Though fats are the most calorie-dense of the three macronutrients (the others being carbohydrates and protein), a teaspoon of oil is only about 40 kcal and can go a LONG way in adding flavour and crispiness to your veggies.

Not only that, but there are certain nutrients, called fat-soluble vitamins, that actually need fat in order to be effectively absorbed. These are vitamins A, D, E, and K. So going oil-free might actually mean that you miss out on some of the wonderful nourishing qualities of vegetables!

4. Use spices

I cannot stress enough the importance of spices! At the very least, salt and pepper should be your best friends, but you can certainly aim a little higher if your preferences allow for it. Cumin, oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, ground ginger, and paprika are just a few options.

If you don’t know what spices pair well with different vegetables, a quick Google search will help! Don’t be intimidated by the spices that are sitting bored in your cupboard.

5. Add toppings

Things like cheese, nuts, or seeds not only up the aesthetic and texture appeal of a dish, but they can really make the food more enjoyable and also help you stay fuller for longer. If they help you get in more vegetables, they are a no-brainer!

Stay nourished my friends,

Robena