Sneaking Veggies Into Your Daily Diet (page 3 of 4)

Go Green

17. Always start with mirepoix. This blend of onions, celery, carrots, parsley, and bay leaves, pronounced "meer-pwah," is a great way to sneak veggies into nearly every entrée you prepare. Sauté a cup (or more) of the mixture (which you can buy already cut up and prepared in some groceries) in two tablespoons of olive oil, then use as a starter for sauces, stews, and soups.

18. Serve chili, soup, stew, pastas, or rice in a scooped-out tomato or green pepper. Then make sure you finish the "bowl."

19. Add chopped kale or other hearty greens to your next soup or stew. Just a couple of minutes is all that's needed to steam the greens down to tenderness and add quantities of potassium, fiber, and calcium to your soup, says Lisa C. Andrews, R.D., a clinical dietitian for the VA Medical Center in Cincinnati.

20. Use low-sodium vegetable juice as the base for soups instead of chicken or beef broth.

21. Go vegetarian one day a week. You can do this by merely substituting the meat serving with a vegetable serving (suggestion: make it a crunchy, strong-flavored vegetable like broccoli). Or you can dabble in the world of vegetarian cooking, in which recipes are developed specifically to make a filling, robust meal out of vegetables and whole grains. For those times, you should get yourself a good vegetarian cookbook. The Moosewood Restaurant cookbook series is popular, and for good reason. Other good options include: Cooking Vegetarian: Healthy, Delicious, and Easy Vegetarian Cuisine by Vesanto Melina and Joseph Forest, and Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet by Vesanto Melina et al.

22. Use salsa liberally. First, make sure you have a large batch filled with vegetables. One good approach: Add chopped yellow squash and zucchini to store-bought salsa. Then put salsa on everything: baked potatoes, rice, chicken breasts, sandwiches, eggs, steak, even bread. Salsa shouldn't be just for chips. It's too tasty and healthy not to be used all the time.

23. Throw shredded carrots and cabbage into your next soup, salad, or casserole. These coleslaw ingredients add flavor, color, and lots of vitamins and minerals, says Andrews.

24. Roast your vegetables. Here is one of the great side dishes, easy to make, delicious to eat, and amazingly healthy. Plus, it tastes surprisingly sweet, and lasts well as a leftover, meaning you can make large batches and serve throughout the week. Cut hearty root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, and onions into inch-thick chunks and arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and fresh or dried herbs. Roast in a 450°F oven until soft, about 45 minutes, turning once. That's it!

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