I am about to tell you a really important piece of nutrition advice that you’ll ever hear.

“Eat more vegetables!”

Every man and his dog wants to “eat healthy”. If you really want to set yourself apart from the crowd and set a health goal that’s really special, then this one is for you!

Vegetables are vital to maintaining good health. Studies show that the antioxidants and phytochemicals that vegetables naturally contain can decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cancer, decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes and increase your immunity. In fact, when compared to taking antioxidant supplements, eating fresh vegetables is far superior at promoting good health.

The reason vegetables are so good for us is not because of their individual nutrients (like vitamins) but because of their 100s of health promoting chemicals all working together when you eat a vegetable whole. No green powder or supplement could ever match that!

If you grew up eating vegetables boiled to within an inch of their life or feel clueless as to what to do with a sweet potato, capsicum, or broccoli when it’s put in front of you, then please read on. Vegetable cooking and inspiration are on their way!

Here are 11 ways to eat more vegetables:

Salads

Salads are quick, easy meals that are a great way to get in a fantastic variety of vegetables. There’s a salad recipe of mine in the Ayla Health App with crispy pan fried salmon: Salmon Salad with Yoghurt Dressing. It’s amazing!

Platters

Have guests coming round? Or maybe the kids are due home from school? Serve up a plate of chopped raw vegetables and your favourite dip. It looks lovely and colourful and is great to munch on over the afternoon and while you’re cooking dinner. You’ll be surprised at how much your kids will enjoy it. Check this one out in the Ayla Health App: How to make a fruit and vegetable tasting plate.

Pasta sauces

A great way to make pasta sauces go that little bit further is to bulk them out with finely grated vegetables. I like to add carrot and zucchini to bolognese sauce and I make another meatless sauce with garlic, onions, chilli, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and rocket all tossed together with some lemon juice. Yum! Check out this recipe: Feta and Grilled Vegetables with Pasta.

Cheesy tops

Feeding a big family? Pasta bakes and pies are great options. Or you’ve got heaps of leftovers if you’re cooking for one or two. Try mashing steamed cauliflower with some low fat ricotta or cottage cheese and using that as a pie topper. Mashed regular potato or sweet potato is another great option.

Adding vegetables into the mix is also great. A bag of frozen peas, corn, and carrot is a nutritious and cheap way to bulk out the meal and add extra nutrition, or if you’re keen to grate or chop, you can add a myriad of different vegetables into the mix.

I make a delicious Chicken and Vegetable Pie (recipe in the Ayla Health App), that has pastry on top and is packed full of vegetables making it extremely filling, very comforting and highly nutritious!

Lasagne addition

In addition to the pasta sheets in a lasagna add thinly sliced eggplant or zucchini or serve your traditional lasagne with a bowl of freshly steamed beans, snow peas and sugarsnap peas.

Side dish

Most of the time I like to make up a large bowl of salad and then serve it as a side dish with practically anything. I serve it up with pizza, BBQ’d meat, pasta bake or a toasted sandwich.

Egg dishes

I love eggs and they go so well with vegetables. Making a quiche? You can add shallots, parsley, roast capsicum, small cubes of sweet potato, baby spinach, tomato, grated zucchini and so much more. A vegetable filled omelette is a great healthy breakfast (and you know you’re doing well when you’re having vegetables for breakfast). There are some delish quiche options in the Ayla Health App.

Sandwiches and wraps

Fill your sandwich or lunch wrap with vegetables as much as you can such as baby spinach, rocket, roast capsicum, eggplant and artichoke, grated carrot, sliced tomato, cucumber, capsicum and onions, shredded lettuce, or mashed avocado.

Soups

Soups are a great ways to eat vegetables. Load them up with pumpkin, sweet potato, leek, onions, parsnip, squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and much more. I also like to add a tin of drained lentils, cannellini beans or borlotti beans to my soup to give it a bit of a fibre and protein boost. Soup is great to make when you have some spare time and then freeze it for a busy or rainy day! Try our Hearty Pumpkin Soup or Chicken Soup packed with silverbeet and other vegetables.

Stews

I love a good stew, especially in winter. It’s gloriously warming comfort food and they are so easy to cook, especially if you have a slow cooker. One of my favourite winter dishes is a Lamb and Lentil Stew full of carrots, celery, tomatoes, fennel, onions, and garlic. It’s so yummy! You can find the recipe in the Ayla Health App.

Roasts

You can’t go past a hearty roast. I love the tasty meat and crispy potatoes topped with gravy. All you need to do to make it a well balanced meal is decrease your portion of meat and potatoes and fill your plate with steamed beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli, and carrots. Try roasted beetroot, parsnip, swede or squash. I also really enjoy shredded english spinach, steamed until wilted and then drizzled with fresh lemon juice!

Download the Ayla Health App

Packed with over 350 recipes that focus on making healthy food, delicious food! Especially vegetables!