It’s been the age-old battle of Parent vs. Child.
Ah yes, I can still hear it now…
“Michael! Eat your F*$%ING broccoli before I smash your head through that table…What?!?!…I don’t give a shit if Full House is on…THAT’S IT!”
SMAAAASH!
[Dog barking, brothers laughing, me crying…brothers still laughing…]
SMAAAASH!
[…brothers crying…me laughing.]
Apparently that method worked for my brothers and I.
I mean look at the pictures-I like veggies.
"I eat broccoli...what of it?"
Though I understand the importance of vegetables for everyday health, I wouldn’t suggest that method…unless you don’t mind picking broccoli out of your forehead.
Well, I have a solution to this major issue.
Come take a look at 5 Ways to Make Your Veggies NOT Taste Like Ass…
Season ‘Em
Pretty basic.
Grab a little sea salt, some pepper and whatever other spice you find neccessasry. Keep the salt to a minimum. The point is to explore your culinary creativity without looking like an amateur with the kitchen equipment. Soon enough we will let you handle sharp things -Baby steps.
Roast ‘Em
So many people think boiling vegetables is the way to go when in fact it drains out quite a bit of the nutrients.
Sure, you could also steam them like everyone else.
My question is: Would you jump off a bridge if everyone else did? ( Pending that their wasn’t a crazy pool party down below with pirates and naked playmates) No, you wouldn’t.
Try roasting them. Not only does it preserve the nutrients, but it also adds a rustic flavor and crispy texture. It also takes about 10 minutes and doesn’t require all the gear that it does to steam them.
*Cooking Tip: Sprinkle a small amount of parmigiana cheese and red pepper flakes before roasting for added flavor.
Dip ‘Em
Relax Gino.
This doesn’t mean melt fourteen pounds of Velveeta and start dipping carrots in it. Choose some healthy dips such as low fat dressing, honey mustard, guacamole, peanut butter or hummus. These will add just enough flavor without adding bad fats, unneccessary sugars and the sodim contained in half the shit that Applebee’s smothers on your vegetables.
Dipping your veggies in something can also act as a perfect snack between meals.
Mix OR Blend ‘Em
By mixing or blending vegetables, you will almost disguise the taste while upping the nutritional value on an otherwise boring plate.
Making some whole wheat pasta? Chop up some broccoli and toss it in.
Making a strawberry smoothie?
Chuck in some organic spinach for some added fiber and potassium. Gross you say? Its doubtful you’ll even taste it. The sweetness of the fruit will offset any bitter aftertaste of spinach.
So drink up Popeye!
Supplement ‘Em
Another supplement?
Well, not quite.
There are a ton of “greens” supplements out on the shelves these days all claiming to have “12 servings of your fruits and veggies.” It’s actually somewhat true. They work quite well. Whether it’s supplying you with enough antioxidants, vitamins or minerals for the day – these products work.
So then what’s the big deal?…Well the big deal is that they taste like shit.
Biotest has taken this into consideration and has developed a product called “Superfood” that contains all of the essentials with a berry flavor that makes it easy to mix into any protein shake, oatmeal…or even straight up and washed down with water.
So if you can’t bare to eat another spear of broccoli this is the way to go as far as taste, convenience and efficiency.
***
...but only if you want.
You can also sautee them in a tiny bit of olive oil with some garlic (and optional hot pepper flakes)–just like roasting they come out sweet-spicy and oh soo good..and the olive oil is good for you.
This is some awesome info. What I do with my veggies is #4. I bought that big old Montel Williams blender-emulsifier (whatever the fu** that means) and I throw in spinach leaves with red peppers, carrots, a banana, some blueberries, 2% milk, shot of wheatgrass and flaxseed, with some Stevia and VOILA – I gots me a good a** shake! Twice a day, in the morning and as an afternoon meal replacement and it holds me down.
Thanks for the article Mike – keep doin’ your thing homie.
Johnny “Handsome” Contreras
@HandsomeIsland via Twitter
Another idea is to find recipes that include veggies and using the other flavors to help “spice” it up. Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness all have great, healthy recipes each month!
@Paul great idea man…I will try it out for sure!
@Johnny that shake sounds great man…I am going to give it a shot…I may add a bit more protein. I have a similar shake I do.
@Jason Great call! Check out a book called ‘Muscle Chow’…great recipes.
I love Veggies… in my house no meal was ever served without something green. (No that did not mean mint ice cream)
It’s a no brainer to just microwave vegies with every protein meal. Kids should be offered vegies at every meal – even ones they don’t like – eventually they will try them.
Thanks for tips on tasty vegies… aside from supplements I think they are great.
Another tip from me – use Vegetables instead of protein in pasta & rice dishes – like Beetroot Risotto or Brocolli & Pinenut Pasta.
Enjoy and Eat your greens!
I’ll be trying the strawberries w spinach in a smoothie tomorrow…always looking for a tastier way to eat veggies for me AND my toddler. I think my ma used to “juice” veggies and fruit together to mask the veg flavor…watermelon, cucumber, apple and beet was tasty.
Great ideas there, may have to try out blending them all together for convenience’s sake. Although I must say I don’t like cooking veggies in any way, I much prefer them raw and in a salad with a bit of salt for seasoning and grilled chicken on the side for protein.
@saze83
Juice them and use the PULP in: whole grain breads, muffins, etc…, mix the pulp in a dip of with hummus and smashed avocado, or as a base for veggie burgers. P.S. to make the above more moist, use some of the juice too!
I love raw vegetables. Save for spinach that I haven’t tried but I do use in various recipes. If they’re available, I’ll make a big ass salad, toss in some meat for protein, make a dressing with olive oil, vinegar and spices and pack it all for work. Takes minutes and kicks ass! However, I too have found that grilling vegetables (and fruit!) works really well. Especially for bigger solid vegetables like eggplants.
@Jane …start ‘em young-that’s how it was in my house…even though my Dad can’t even look at a brussel sprout!
@Peachysweet let me know what you think…start with about 1 cup and tweak as needed!
@Saeed I am always in a huge hurry, so blending them happens more often for me…super easy and taste really good.
@Jack Love that idea man…definitely trying that out. I am always looking for a new way to mkae my turkey burgers…a little vegetable juice would be a great addition…thanks for the tip!
@Bill Veggies on the grill are great-especially in the summer…try zucchini and squash as well.
A bit late to the game, but I hit upon and have recently tried a neat method for conveniently adding flavor to veggies. When the oven or grill is already hot, I’ll toss a few in-season veggies coated with olive oil. When its done cooking, give it a whiz in my food processor and add whatever seasonings or flavorings that seem applicable. So here’s the part that will save me time later… I put this concoction in ice cube trays for easy portioning. So all I gots to do is warm it up when my veggies are done cooking. Easy peasy!
And on the idea of veggie & fruit smoothies, love it!! I really love strawberries & spinach in some apple juice. Picked up some great suggestions guys, yum!
I use Mrs. Dash on everything. It makes things taste better. It is a boring continued diet but one that I live by the mirror as a competitive bb.
Top post my man! I personally like to mix fruits with the veggies. For example a few apple or peach slices mixed in with the salad. Or a few pieces of cheese. Works for me!