Really, how are we supposed to make dinner EVERY night?!? Not to mention, breakfast, lunch, and ALL THE SNACKS… Even with easy-to-incorporate veggies like cucumbers and green beans, we can all get in a rut.

Since “Food is Fun” is one of my mottos, I’ve gathered a few simple tricks over the years…  And these are different than the hide-the-veggies-in-the-food ideas—which I used to do, but really we should be loud + proud when we eat more veggies!

P.S. There is NO SUBSTITUTE for home grown / locally grown produce because when food naturally tastes good it is easy to eat!

My Favorite Ways to Eat More Veggies

Here are a few of my favorite, real-life ways to eat more veggies—no hiding required. These are the tricks I reach for again and again, especially when the garden is overflowing and I need quick, easy wins at mealtime. They’re simple, flexible, and built around the idea that food should be fun (always). Because when veggies look good and taste good, everyone at the table—kids and grown-ups alike—is way more likely to dig in.

Snack Tray

AKA ‘kid version’ of the charcuterie board… chopping raw veggies and slicing cheese, putting out a few nuts, crackers, sourdough, and of course some dips like hummus and dressings… and—boom!—meal complete.

**Look for different colors, shapes, and sizes of familiar foods.** There are ‘Lemon’ and ‘Dragon Egg’ cucumbers to keep them eating more. Purple, yellow, red, and white carrots are pretty cool too!

Sauté Saves the Day

This high heat browning technique is quickest way to add layers of flavor to veggies. Starting with onion + garlic, toss in larger chunks/slower-to-cook veggies first, and then add shredded veggies—and maybe some peppers or tomatoes for flavor. One of my favorite combos is chard, kale, or beet greens with onion and garlic, plus some tomato to up the acidity and create a little sauce base.

Just Grill It

Like roasting in the winter, grilling in the summer adds so much flavor to food! A family favorite is roasted peppers, onions + zucchini, with an olive oil and salt + pepper prep. The fun part is drizzling a little dressing on afterwards. Salad Girl’s “Curry Fig” is phenomenal on zucchini after—or if you place veggies on foil while grilling, marinating in it first.

Shape Shift

My mandolin is a meal saver. I can shred zucchini into coleslaw or use it as a salad base. I can also shave carrots, beets, or kohlrabi into ribbons or sheets. The mandolin even turns regular old cabbage into an instant salad. I’m using the same tried-and-true veggies my family loves—but presenting them in different ways makes it more fun for my kids. And honestly, it’s more fun me and my hubby too.

Herbal Appeal

Most of us have a few potted herbs around, and this is the time to use them! Most herbs do much better after getting a pruning anyway, and they add fresh, intense flavors to your meals. Thyme with lemony dishes, of course adding basil to Italian dishes, and chives to anything with eggs (including hard boiled) just brightens up the flavors. I’ll also mention that many herbs are VERY easy to dry simply by hanging if you start snipping and realize you have a LOT of green!

Quickles

Quick pickling is a life saver as the dog days of summer wear on. I use a simple quick pickle recipe—and I have found adding a little of Salad Girl’s “Lemony Herb” to the mix goes a long way. Any veggie you enjoy raw makes a good candidate for pickling. From cucumbers to carrots, green beans, radishes, zucchini, cauliflower…pickling these is a great way to eat more veggies.

Basic Quick Pickle Recipe

1 Cup cider vinegar
1 Cup water
¼ honey or sugar
1 T kosher salt.

Heat brine to dissolve and combine. Then pour over jars packed with veggies, seal, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Enjoy for a few weeks, if they last that long.

Adding quick pickles to salads is a great way to jazz up salads that soak up lots of flavor—and they’re also amazing over potatoes. This recipe is meant to be played with, so make it your own! My seasonings have included mustard seeds, garlic, fennel leaves, dill, onion slices, peppercorn, hot peppers, bell peppers, ginger, and any garden fresh herbs.

Ferment It!

Another, healthier version of pickling is fermentation. It doesn’t use vinegar, but you end up with that puckering taste, plus TONS of amazing gut-friendly, good bacteria. If you’re interested, check out my blog on different ways to pickle + ferment your beans, cucumbers, carrots, etc. into crispy, crunchy snacks that last months in your refrigerator.

Summer Fun

I love summer—and spending it OUTSIDE is key. So I try hard to make fast work of preserving and putting up food now to enjoy all winter long.  Don’t forget you can freeze things like tomatoes and shredded zucchini to cook with later.

**There’s a reason meal kit services are all the rage right now, but that’s just not my world. Plus the packaging, delivery and processing takes adds up to a hefty carbon footprint that takes a toll on our planet too.**

Closing Thoughts on Helping Your Family Eat More Veggies

I hope this post inspires you to find a few new ways to remind yourself that food is fun—and that eating more veggies doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Sometimes it’s just a small shift, a new presentation, or a fresh idea that makes all the difference. I’d love to hear what works in your kitchen, too. Please share your favorite tips for getting your family to eat more veggies!

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Get Your Family to Eat More Veggies! appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.