All Entries For vegetables
Kale Recipes You'll Actually Eat
My current go-to green vegetable is kale, which has nutritional value and health benefits that are off-the-charts. Whether I’m throwing it in my smoothie or steaming it as a recipe addition, I do my best to eat it every day.
The next time you are at the supermarket grab a bunch of kale and start cooking these recipes that you’ll actually eat and taste great.
Kale Stew
Enchilada Casserole with Kale and Sweet Potatoes
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Easy Asparagus Recipes
Asparagus is delicious when prepared simply: steamed, roasted or grilled. I like to blanch and shock the asparagus before grilling. Boil the asparagus for 1 minute (this is the "blanch" part of the process). Immediately plunge the asparagus into ice water to stop the cooking process (this is the "shock"). The asparagus will turn bright green and retain all its taste and nutrition. Dry it off and then grill it. Serve alone or on a pizza. Or serve it cold with vinaigrette.
How do you prepare it? Easy--Mother Nature gave you a guide. Pick up a spear, hold one end in each hand, and snap it. It will naturally break at the spot where it turns from woody to tender. You can either snap each spear or use the first one as a guide and cut them all off at the same spot.
Don't throw away those tough ends. You can simmer them for stocks or puree and use in soups. If all your spears are thick and woody, use a vegetable peeler to trim the outside and expose the tender interior.
You'll love these easy asparagus recipes:
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Pick Peppers for Dinner
We love bell peppers. Served raw, they're a tangy and low-calorie snack and a great addition to any salad. When cooked, their natural sweetness is highlighted. We've picked a pack of pepper recipes that are both delicious and nutritious!
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10 Super Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipes
Are you looking for new ways to eliminate unhealthy ingredients and add more healthy ingredients to your recipes? Stuffed Bell Peppers are a fun way just to do that. A large size bell pepper has about 50 calories and is loaded with folate, magnesium, copper, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and potassium. Use peppers in place of high calorie wraps that have very little nutritional value. For an added bonus, stuff your peppers nutritional storehouses like beans, lentils, whole grains, finely chopped veggies and lean meats. Top it off with a puréed vegetable sauce for added flavor. Keep yourself healthy with these 10 super stuffed pepper recipes. Read More ›
11 Healthy Cabbage Recipes
When you think of cabbage, do you think of a garnish used to add color or fill in the white space on a plate? Or worse, do you remember watery, mushy, or chewy boiled cabbage that a relative over-boiled with cured meat? If so, then you share my shock and surprise that, at least until recently, I've been missing out on the vitamins and nutrients packed into this water-rich super food. Cabbage has more vitamin C than an orange is a great source of vitamins A, K and also is high in folate and fiber too. I like the flavor that it adds to soups and salads. My favorite recipe in the "The SparkPeople Cookbook" is Chef Meg’s Minestrone Soup and much of the flavor and nutrition comes from the two cups and chopped cabbage in this recipe. Use these cabbage recipes to add extra vegetables to your nutritional intake. Read More ›
Meet the Best Meatless Protein Sources
If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you've probably been asked countless questions about how you get your protein. The truth is, it's not as hard as you might think to meet your protein needs when you're going meatless. However, some plant sources are higher in this important nutrient than others. Which veg-friendly food packs more protein: 4 ounces of tofu, 1 cup of cooked lentils, or 1 cup of cooked quinoa? Read More ›
A Better Way to Get Vitamin C (Besides Orange Juice!)
With cold and flu season in full swing, most of us are trying to do all we can to avoid catching one of the nasty viruses floating around. Some swear by vitamin C-rich orange juice for warding off disease. Although the evidence about vitamin C's illness-fighting powers is conflicting, there's no doubt that it's still a good nutrient to consume. Since the body does not produce vitamin C, you must obtain it from outside sources to create and repair skin cells and fight off the effects of damaging free radicals. If you eat your veggies, though, it's not hard to reach your daily quota, since all fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C to some degree. That's right; orange juice isn't your only option for getting this important nutrient! Which type of produce will deliver the highest amount of vitamin C per serving: Red bell peppers, broccoli, kiwi, or oranges? Read More ›
10 Healthy, Easy Ways to Cook Squash of All Sorts
Squash is one of those vegetable categories that spans a whole range of colors, flavors, shapes, textures and growing seasons. From acorn squash to zucchini, this veggie family has it all, including nutrients, fiber and fewer than 75 calories per serving.
Summer varieties (like zucchini and yellow squash) are nutritious, with antioxidants and carotenoids; they’re ideal for sautéing. (Try: 10 New Uses for Zucchini)
Hard-skinned winter squashes (acorn, butternut, pumpkin) are packed with antioxidants and vitamin A and roast beautifully. And spaghetti squash makes a delightfully different (and super low-cal) substitute for pasta.
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Better Butternut Squash Recipes
Butternut squash is my favorite fall vegetable. I tell my kids that it's like vegetable candy, because roasting brings out its natural sweetness and reduces the need for sugar in our favorite fall deserts.
Consuming butternut squash adds fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C to your diet. Here's an easy way to pick the perfect one at most stores. For maximum efficiency, roast extra squashes and freeze the extra flesh for later use. If you're short on time, just pick up some pre-cut Butternut Squash in the freezer section at your market. Another fun tip is to grind the seeds in a coffee or spice grinder and use as a natural thickening agent in soups and stews.
Celebrate fall with these butternut squash recipes. Read More ›
Foods That Might Help Your Eyesight
It’s a well-known fact that carrots are good for your eyesight, but did you know there are several nutrients that can keep your eyes healthy throughout your life? A healthy diet may help reduce the risk of vision issues like cataracts, glaucoma, age related macular degeneration and diabetic retinaopathy and help promote good eye health from as early as infancy. Why is this important? Over 21 million Americans suffer from vision trouble and the number of Americans with eye health problems is expected to double in the next 30 years. So what foods should you include in your diet to protect your vision? Read More ›
The Healthiest Leafy Green--and How to Eat It
We all know it's a good idea to eat leafy green veggies. They're chock-full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, and they're low in calories to boot. But if you can only stomach so much green in your life, which leafy green should you choose for the maximum nutritional benefits: Spinach, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, or collard greens? Read More ›
7 Veggie-Packed Meals for Fall
Easy ways to turn vitamin-packed veggies into healthy, delicious dinners.
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 22 minutes Read More ›
Tap into the Potential of Taproots This Fall
By definition, a taproot is the single root of a plant that extends deep into the soil to supply the above-ground plant with nutrients. My definition of a taproot is YUM! It is such a shame these vegetables are grown below ground because many are just too pretty to hide. Maybe that's their plan: to hang out underground and develop earthy flavor notes and then when plucked from the earth it's like a walk down the red carpet showing off their textured and colorful skin. Taproots such as parsnips, beets, carrots, and celery root have been around for ages and still shine as cooler weather favorites.
I love what a little cool weather can do to sweeten up parsnips and how a hot oven will transform the flesh into to a golden sweet vegetable dish.
Look for different varieties of taproots at your local market and follow the guide below to incorporate them into all your fall and winter meals. Read More ›
Get Kids to Eat Veggies by Offering More Veggies
My young kids like to be in control. Whether it’s what they are wearing, which toy they play with or what’s for lunch, they like to make decisions. Although it can get frustrating at times (“I’m sorry honey, we aren’t going to wear winter boots today because it’s 97 degrees outside.”) I can understand. So much of their lives are planned out for them that it’s exciting when they get to make a few choices on their own.
I’ve started involving my children more in the meal planning process. I don’t mind cooking dinner but I hate having to come up with ideas all the time. So I’ll ask them for suggestions, or give them choices to pick from, either in the planning stage or once I make the food. It doesn’t bother me to make a few different vegetables and then let them choose which ones they want. I know the food will get eaten eventually, and I like having leftovers for future meals. I find that when given the choice, they don’t usually pick just the carrots or just the green beans. They usually want a little of both, and end up eating more vegetables than they would have if there was just one. A new study of adults came to the same conclusion: variety helps increase intake. Read More ›
39 Meat-Free Recipes for World Vegetarian Day
Happy World Vegetarian Day! In honor of this Meatless Monday and the annual day to kick off a month of plant-based eating, we're sharing some of our favorite veg recipes. They're yummy and filling, perfect for meat eaters and veg'ns alike!
Did you know that about 3% of Americans are vegetarian and about 1% are vegan, meaning they don't eat meat, dairy, eggs or anything else that comes from an animal.
- 2-Bean Sweet Potato Chili
- Baked Falafel
- Bruschetta-Stuffed Mushrooms
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Spinach Enchiladas
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