Do you cook regularly for someone who bristles at Brussels sprouts or shudders at spinach? If so, you know how frustrating it can be to put well-rounded meals on the table. And taking advantage of seasonal or local produce is even harder. But, like I wrote when I covered how to handle veggie-shunning kids, you don’t need to resign yourself to never-ending sides of just potatoes or corn.
How Much do we Need?
The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults eat 3 servings of vegetables per day. What’s a serving, you ask? It depends on the veggie. In general, a serving of vegetables is equal to: 1 cup raw, frozen, canned or cooked vegetables OR 2 cups leafy greens OR 1 cup vegetable juice.
It’s always a good idea to vary your produce selections, choosing different colors and different forms. That way you cover more of your nutritional “bases” as far as vitamins, minerals and fiber are concerned. Vegetables in all forms can be nutritious. Fresh, frozen or canned versions all have their strong points. Comparing products using Guiding Stars makes it easy to see which veggies, in which forms, offer the most nutritional value. Choose those 3-star veggies most often. If fresh green beans are “forbidden,” maybe frozen, “French-style” beans would be ok? The point is, getting any vegetable in is better than no vegetables at all.
Why Veggies are Good For Us
I think it’s fair to say that most adults recognize that vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. Higher intakes of veggies (and fruits) are consistently demonstrated to be an important part of healthy eating patterns.
For adults, these nutrients help maintain organ function, cellular repair and replacement, and contribute to the efficient running of our body systems. Our immune systems, digestive systems (including the gut microbiome), circulatory systems all benefit from plentiful vegetables. Even our eyes and skin can get a boost from certain healthful compounds contained in vegetables. Beyond that, though, eating plenty of veggies has the potential to confer longer-term benefits, often through their inflammation-fighting support. According to the World Health Organization, they protect us against chronic diseases and conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancers, for example.
Strategies For Making it Happen
Present the veggies in a new way
Steamed cauliflower is a no-go? Maybe “riced” cauliflower would be acceptable when mixed with regular rice in a casserole. Here are a few ideas along this line:
- Roasted cauliflower or broccoli offers crispy texture and a sweeter flavor than steamed
- Baked sweet potato “fries” vs plain sweet potato
- Pureed sweet potato layered with regular mashed potatoes in a warm and cozy baked side dish
- Beet “chips” instead of boiled or pickled beets
- “Tots” made from veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, or sweet potatoes—either store-bought or made at home for a welcome change of pace
- Dips made with some pureed vegetables such as different types of beans or root vegetables like carrots or beets
- Make homemade veggie burgers; beans, mushrooms, grains, and seasonings are common and tasty ingredients
Soup it up
- Try mixing up the veggies in a pureed soup (winter squashes, mushrooms, peas, and carrots are great choices)
- Adding a little cabbage to your standard chicken soup is often not a hard sell because it is mild in flavor. You can even purchase finely shredded coleslaw mix for this application to make your life a little easier. This also works for other soups, of course, and can work with other veggies such as the “spiralized” zucchini in the produce department.
- Slowly start working in small amounts of different vegetables into a favorite chili or beef stew. Don’t overwhelm the beloved recipe with new stuff. Start with just a little bit and work up from there.
Casseroles are your friend
If your veggie-shy eater likes casseroles, you’re in luck! There are lots of ways to use small amounts of vegetables in a casserole. Shredding them, mashing them, and finely chopping them are probably going to be necessary. Some adjustment in cooking time or pre-cooking certain vegetables may also be required, as some types like summer squash, can add quite a bit of liquid to the recipes. Squeezing out the pre-cooked veggies or decreasing the overall liquid in the recipe to compensate are also good options.