Tasty Ways to Eat Your Vegetables

I know that veggies may not always seem appealing. They used to strike me as rather boring and not very satisfying. But since I have to serve veggies to my kids, and since I know I need to eat them myself, I figured out some new ways of getting those vegetable servings in that don't leave everybody yawning.

Of course there are scads of delicious salads that you can throw together in a pinch--or right now, in hot weather--for a quick, colorful meal that's chock full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and all the other goodies I keep talking about. Try tossing some fruit in with the veggies to add a new dimension--cubed apples, peaches, dried cranberries and mandarin oranges are some great choices. I also love to throw in some chopped walnuts or pecans--not too many!--for protein, crunch and even more fiber, plus they make the salad taste richer.

Beyond salads, try making your own fresh salsas. You can start with the basic--chopped tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and lime juice--then get creative. A dear friend of mine made a delicious salsa the other day with chopped mango, strawberries, red onion, cilantro and lemon juice. Perfection! She also makes outstanding homemade white bean dip, made with canned cannelini beans, whirred in a food processor with olive oil, garlic, parsley or basil. Serve with whole wheat pita chips. Of course, an excellent "stealth" veggie dish is hummus, which you can buy prepared or make yourself with canned chick peas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, parsley and seasonings--this is great with any kind of raw veggies, so you're getting two for one, plus extra protein, with this one.

One of my favorite ways to prepare cooked veggies is roasting them. This works with just about any vegetable you can think of, but my favorites are carrots, onions, potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms and asparagus. I'll often make a roasted veggie medley to go with roast chicken. It's so easy! Just cut the veggies into 2-inch chunks and place on a baking sheet or roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Spray the veggies with more cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper (and paprika, if they're pale veggies like potatoes) and roast in a 425 degree oven for 20-30 minutes (adjust the time as needed according to the density of the vegetable--asparagus only needs about 10 minutes). They're so good and versatile!

On another subject, here's a tip if you're still getting used to gauging the right portion sizes. Go to http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate for some great portion-control tools. Next post: The skinny on lean protein.