Reading time 5 minutes

How to eat more vegetables…

1. Mix into oatmeal

   Bulk up your oatmeal by adding grated vegetables such as zucchini, carrot, cauliflower or even broccoli (and the stems!) before cooking. If you keep them super finely grated and add other elements of flavour to your oats then you won’t even be able to taste the extra veggies! Don’t be intimidated, give it a try and get creative!
   
   (If you follow @foodieegee on Instagram then you’d know I make ZOATS (zucchini+oats) pretty much every day!)
   
   I recommend starting with about a 1/3 of a small zucchini into 3/4-1 cup of oats & check out the recipes below:
   – Chocolate zucchini oatmeal
   – Carrot cake Overnight Oats from the Easy Vegan Eats Ebook!

2. Make veggie spaghetti

   Ever heard of ‘veggetti’, zoodles or spaghetti squash? Yes, you can pretty much turn any vegetable into spaghetti strands by using a spiraliser! Then you can use them as a substitute or addition to regular pasta noodles or add to salads and nourish bowls for a fun variety in texture and colour.

3. Hide them in desserts (yes, be that person)

   You can easily hide vegetables in baked desserts such as brownies, cookies, cakes and loaves without even noticing! This is the best way to have your cake and eat it too whilst getting part of you daily intake of vegetables, win win!
   
   Check out these delicious vegan dessert recipes with hidden vegetables featured on the blog and inside the E.V.E ebook:
   – Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
   – Vegan Lemon Bars
   – No-bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
   
   Hidden vegetable recipes inside the Easy Vegan Eats Ebook:
   – Cookie dough Cheesecake
   – Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
   – Chocolate Zucchini Loaf
   – Double Chocolate Cookies
   – No-Bake Protein Bars
   – Edible Cookie Dough
   
   SUBSCRIBE for more recipes!…
   

4. Add to smoothies

   Vegetables such as cauliflower, zucchini, sweet potato, chickpeas and leafy greens are the perfect addition to any smoothie and help to bulk up the fibre and nutrient content. You can easily hide the subtle flavour of these types of vegetables by using your favourite fruits, vegan protein powder or other additions such as cacao powder and vanilla extract etc. in your smoothie.
   

5. Try something new, keep it fresh and fun

   Variety is key when it comes to a healthy gut microbiome as well as not getting bored of ‘healthy eating’. Every now and then when you go grocery shopping choose a new vegetable that you have never tried before. Have fun learning how to cook it and discovering different recipes to try. It takes getting outside your comfort zone to discover new foods and you might even end up finding your new favourite vegetable!
   

6. Load up those sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pizza etc.

   When it comes to comfort food and homemade meals such as pizza, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, stir fries and curries, don’t shy away from the veg, load ’em right up! This is going to be one of the easiest ways to eat more vegetables, especially if you’re bulking up your favourite meal as you’re already going to love the general taste and flavours of the dish.

7. Stop making boring salads

   Some people love a simple garden side salad with just lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber and if that’s you and you enjoy it, go for it! However if that doesn’t sound appetising to you, don’t give up on salads; they can be the tastiest part of a dish (and even the main event!). The key to a delicious salad is having a variety in textures, colours and flavours.
   Get creative with how you prepare your vegetables eg. raw, roasted, spiralised, baked and pickled.
   
   Try adding something…
   – crunchy (nuts, seeds, roasted chickpeas…)
   – chewy (dried fruit…)
   – fresh (greens, raw vegetables, avocado…)
   – hearty (beans, legumes, and wholegrain will make it much more satisfying & protein-rich
   – and a tasty homemade dressing (see next tip)
   to take your salads to the next level.
   

8. Add a tasty sauce, dip or dressing

   When it comes to “making vegetables taste good”, adding flavour is where the magic happens. You can season your vegetables with different spices and herbs when cooking, but adding a sauce or dressing on top can be the element that helps you to actually happily enjoy devouring a bowlful of vegetables. Homemade dips, dressings and sauces are usually a lot healthier than store-bought and they can be super quick and easy to whip up. For delicious healthy recipes such as Vegan Caesar dressing, the Best Hummus, Peanut Satay and Coconut Curry sauce, click here and download your copy of the Easy Vegan Eats Ebook.
   

9. Prep ahead (your future self will thank you)

   You don’t always have to prep full meals, but completing steps like washing your leafy greens, removing stems & stalks, or pre-chopping and cooking vegetables at the start of the week will make the process of preparing meals throughout the week much quicker and easier.
   If you have things like veggie sticks chopped up, peeled garlic cloves, and pre-washed vegetables in the fridge ready to eat (or quickly whip up into a meal) you will be more likely to actually eat them.
   
   

10. Blend them up

    The beauty of blending food is that it’s hard to determine what’s actually inside. You can pack in so many nutrients and minerals from different vegetables and then make it taste however you desire by adjusting with seasonings and herbs (or fruits & other elements in the case of smoothies as of tip no. 1)
    
    If you don’t like certain vegetables, try adding them into blended soups, homemade dips or sauces you can add to pasta, nourish bowls and salads etc.