Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, and are an essential component of a healthy, well-balanced diet. However, many people don’t eat enough vegetables due to their taste. Some vegetables are notorious for having a strong, pungent, or bitter taste. No matter how healthy these vegetables are, people tend to avoid them.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to make veggies delicious and much more enjoyable.
Buy Seasonally
Most of us have noticed how the flavor of certain veggies varies depending on the season, and that’s perfectly normal. If you want to eat delicious, juicy vegetables, you should purchase them seasonally. Vegetables that are in season have more flavor and are typically more affordable.
If you’re unsure what veggies are currently in season, a simple Google search is all it takes to find out the answer. For example, sweet corn, okra, and peppers are excellent produce picks for late summer.
Pair Them With Cheese
One of the secrets to enjoying delicious veggies is to pair them with cheese. Low-fat mozzarella is an excellent addition to any vegetable salad. Mix it with tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers, and you’ll get a tasty vitamin bomb.
If you’re roasting or cooking veggies, you can sprinkle them with parmesan or cheddar. The latter is a great option if you like melted cheese. Its strong flavor will eliminate the bitter or pungent taste of certain veggies like brussels sprouts, eggplant, or kale.
Add Lemon or Lime
Only a few drops of lemon or lime juice can make any dish much more delicious, including the vegetables you can’t imagine eating. Cook, grill, roast, or steam your veggies, and add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
You can also make a tangy dressing with lemon or lime juice as the main ingredient. Here’s a quick recipe to inspire you.
Ingredients
- Fresh lemon or lime juice
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Minced garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup or honey
- Fresh or dried thyme
All you need to do is combine these ingredients and whisk them until you get a smooth texture. You can experiment with the quantities of each ingredient as you please. If you’re serving bitter veggies like kale, broccoli, or cauliflower, we recommend adding more lemon or lime juice.
Spice Them Up
Infuse your veggies with different herbs and spices, and you’ll enjoy a mouthwatering, irresistible aroma. The options are endless – from crushed chili flakes to curry and cumin, every spice is unique and can help you create delicious dishes.
Even plain old salt can make vegetables much more delicious if you hit the sweet spot in terms of quantity. Don’t be afraid to try out different spices until your find the right combo for your dish. You can even make your own seasoning blends and make signature dishes with them.
Dip Them
Carrots, broccoli, celery, and cauliflower can be finger-licking good with the right dip. If you don’t want to use store-bought, unhealthy dips, you can make your own. Here are a few ideas.
Greek Yogurt Dip
This dip is healthy, refreshing, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- Non-fat Greek yogurt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried basil
- Dried thyme
- Dried oregano
- Dried parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until you get a smooth texture and serve the dip with cucumbers, celery sticks, baby carrots, or any vegetable you can think of.
Simple Guacamole
Chips and guac may be a classic, but guacamole can be an excellent dip for veggies too. Here’s a simple and quick version of guacamole.
Ingredients
- Avocado
- Garlic powder
- Lime juice
- Salt
Mash all the ingredients together, refrigerate for around one hour (if you can wait that long!), and serve with your favorite (or not-so-favorite) veggies.
Make a Smoothie
Many people don’t like how green veggies taste, but they still want to enjoy their nutritional benefits. If you’re one of them, you’ll be happy to know you can “hide” the veggies in a smoothie. When vegetables like spinach or kale are blended with fruit, plant-based milk, and nuts, you won’t even be able to taste them.
Plus, smoothies are convenient and easy to carry around. You can take them to work or enjoy them while walking in the park. Here’s a recipe for a quick spinach smoothie.
Ingredients
- Pineapple chunks
- Banana slices
- Ice cubes
- Spinach
- Diced green apple
- Almond milk
- Non-fat Greek yogurt
Mix these ingredients in a blender until you get a smooth texture and enjoy a refreshing, nutritious drink.
Grill the Veggies
Steaming and boiling veggies can become boring over time. With so many cooking methods, why not try something new? Grilling your veggies will give them a smokey flavor, juicy texture, and those lovely grill lines.
Since many nutrients remain in the veggies after grilling, this cooking method is probably the next best thing to eating raw vegetables. If you want to get the most out of your veggies, be sure not to char them to a crisp.
You can make grilled veggies taste even better if you marinate them the night before. Keep in mind that this could affect their texture, so they won’t be as crisp. If you don’t like this, you can use a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper brushed on during grilling.
Stuff Them
Stuffing your veggies with something delicious will enhance the flavor and allow you to experiment. You can use anything from meat and rice to other veggies and cheese. In terms of veggies, you can use peppers, mushroom caps, zucchini, eggplant, squash, potatoes, and more.
Don’t forget to use herbs and spices to make the most out of your delicious meal. Plus, you can always make dressings and sauces that will make stuffed veggies taste even better. Tomato sauce is an excellent choice.
Use Oil
A few drops of oil can add so much flavor to veggies. Unfortunately, many people avoid using oils, especially those trying to lose weight, which is completely wrong. Many oils are extremely nutritious and can even promote weight loss.
One of the best choices is extra virgin olive oil. It contains monosaturated fats, which reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of inflammation, heart disease, and stroke. These fats are resistant to high heat, so you can use extra virgin olive oil for cooking. Plus, the oil is rich in antioxidants, which can combat numerous chronic diseases. Last but not least, olive oil has a wonderful, Mediterranean flavor that makes every dish delicious.
When buying olive oil, ensure you read the label carefully. Extra virgin olive oil is a better option because it’s the least processed form and retains its natural vitamins and minerals.
Another excellent option is avocado oil. This oil is rich in oleic acid, a fatty acid known for reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. Plus, it contains antioxidants and enhances the absorption of different nutrients.
Blanch the Veggies
Blanching veggies may sound fancy, but it’s actually quite simple. You put the veggies in boiling water for a few minutes, remove them, and submerge them into cold water to halt the cooking process.
Why is blanching good? Besides preserving the veggies’ color, it stops enzyme actions that cause the loss of flavor and texture. Plus, blanching removes microorganisms from the vegetables, ensuring they are perfectly safe to consume. This cooking technique can also be used prior to freezing, drying, or canning veggies to prevent vitamin loss.
Make Pottage
Pottage is a thick soup that can be made of veggies, grains, and/or meat. It’s incredibly easy to make and allows you to reap the benefits of the veggies whose flavor you usually don’t enjoy. All you need to do is boil the vegetables, blend them to get a smooth texture, and add spices.
This dish allows you to experiment with different veggies, spices, and herbs. If you want to make the pottage even more nutritious, sprinkle it with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Massage the Vegetables
Yes, you heard it right! Massaging certain veggies can make them much more delicious. Vegetables like kale, cabbage, and Swiss chard have a bitter taste many people don’t like. If you want to get rid of this bitterness, grab oil or salt, and massage the veggies. This helps break down the cell structure and makes the veggies softer and less bitter.
Buy Baby Veggies
Besides being cuter, baby veggies tend to be more delicious. As vegetables grow, they can become bitter, so buying baby versions is a good option if you want to enjoy the full flavor. Plus, many baby greens tend to have more antioxidants compared to their mature version.
Don’t Overcook
Overcooked fresh veggies can become mushy and soggy, and this certainly doesn’t sound appetizing. More importantly, overcooking veggies may cause them to lose some of their valuable nutrients.
The best tip for cooking veggies is to cook for a minimal amount of time in as little water as possible. Plus, remember that not all vegetables have the same cooking time. Soft veggies like zucchini and squash take only a few minutes to cook, while hard veggies like beets and potatoes take much longer.
Vegetables Can Be Tasty
As you can see, there are many ways to make veggies delicious; all it takes is a bit of creativity. Don’t be afraid to try new cooking methods, introduce new herbs and spices to your diet, and make dishes you haven’t made before.
Although finding the perfect way to enjoy delicious veggies may take a while, we guarantee it will be worth it.