Join the Sweet Life Wellness NewsletterSign Up
Recipes

Healthy and Simple Vegetable DIshes

on

This week, we will go over healthy and simple vegetable dishes you can make. A good place to start when thinking about what vegetables you would like to use is looking at which ones are currently in season, as they may be easier to find in grocery stores. After all, it is important to know what’s more readily available to you for making healthy and simple vegetable dishes.

Some of the summer seasonal produce includes bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green beans, lima beans, summer squash, tomatoes, and zucchini. It is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list. Referring to the seasonal produce guide on the US Department of Agriculture website, you can see a list of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Even so, this is a nice start to making healthy and simple vegetable dishes. One of the easiest things you can do is steaming the vegetables and making a medley. This method can help lock in the flavor of the vegetables. This could make for a great side dish for a meal. In addition, the vegetables used in recipes you find online can easily be replaced with ones you prefer.

INGREDIENTS (2 servings):

  • Water
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup broccoli florets (bite sized)
  • 1/2 cup red bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a saucepan or wok on medium heat, add in the water and stir fry the onions until they are a little tender.
  2. Add in the broccoli and let it cook for a few minutes.
  3. Add in the bell peppers and crushed canned tomatoes and let sit for about five minutes.
  4. Add in the mushrooms and season to taste.


INGREDIENTS (4 servings):

  • Water
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cups carrots, sliced
  • 3 cups cabbage, shredded
  • ¼ cup canned crushed tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

    1. In a saucepan or wok on medium heat, add in the water and stir fry the onions until they are a little tender.
    2. Add in the carrots and let them cook for a few minutes.
    3. Add in the cabbage and canned crushed tomatoes (I personally like the flavor but you can omit this ingredient if you’d like) and let sit for about five minutes.
    4. Season to taste

 

 

Regarding the canned crushed tomatoes, I personally like the flavor but you can omit this ingredient if you’d like. For both recipes, I used a mixture of chicken bouillon, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. You can use whatever seasoning you would like to. In addition, as these vegetables can be eaten in their natural raw state, you can cook them to be as tender or firm as you’d like. Be careful when seasoning so you don’t overdo it.

If you’re more in the mood for a snack, try roasting some kale. The resulting product could make a nice alternative for crispy chips as a snack. Of course, if you use any seasonings, be sure to do so with care so they aren’t over-salted. Earlier this month, we discussed different snacks you can make with fruit. With this blog, we hope to have sparked some ideas as to how you can deal with vegetables. If you’re in need of additional summer meal ideas, check out our blog: Eat Healthier And Lighter This Summer. Other ideas can be seen in last week’s blog when we talked about grilled vegetables and kabobs. As with other meals, be sure to portion your sizes appropriately as you enjoy them!

  • Click here to watch the Latest Sweet Life Wellness Podcast Episode on How to Enjoy Mindful Eating.
  • Click here to listen for FREE on Apple Podcasts.
  • Want to listen for FREE on Spotify? Click here.


Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian

 

Blessing Bolomope, Student Intern
B.S. Nutrition & Food Science – Dietetics
University of Maryland, College Park | 2020