Help me eat more veggies

[chutch]

I need to eat more veggies. I do well on weekends when I have plenty of free time to make a nice salad, grill some veggies from the garden, or make a big stir fry. But I find that during the week, unless I go out to eat and order a salad, I don't get enough veggies. Fruits are no problem because its easy to grab and apple or banana and take it with me to work- needs no refrigeration or special care, doesn't need anything to dress it up, etc.

Typical work lunches are PBJs and whole grain chips and fruit. I snack on fruit, nuts, pretzels. I prefer not to have to keep anything refrigerated and I bike to work so it needs to be easily portable in a pannier.

Dinners during the week tend to be whatever can be made quickly after working all day and riding in the evenings (pasta, burritos, etc.). I get frustrated with bagged salad because it seems to always go bad before its all eaten.

Any ideas, tips?

[jillm]

This is one of my favorites this time of year--mix blanched green beans, sweet corn (leftover grilled cut off the cob, yum!), and real tomatoes (I mean fresh, august, garden or farmer's market) with pesto sauce (or a little oil and balsamic vinegar) and sprinkle with goat cheese. I make a bunch and we eat it over a few days.

Good luck with the veggies! Looking forward to what others have to say.

[Becky]

I'll buy a bunch of raw veggies, chop/peel/whatever them on the weekend, and use them throughout the week, usually in salads. Prep work doesn't happen during the week. I've been known to make "lettuce-free" salads- all of the salad veggies, but no lettuce or greens. What about buying salad greens in smaller quantities from a store salad bar?

I'm a big fan of using frozen veggies whenever possible. Frozen onions in a recipe instead of freshly chopped, sure! Frozen spinach, thawed and drained, instead of fresh in a cooked dish, you bet! Frozen corn/carrots/broccoli as a side dish instead of steaming fresh, certainly! I prepare fresh veggies when I can, but realistically, that doesn't happen very often during the week.

Low-sodium canned tomatoes are a godsend in recipes, and probably the only canned veggies that I buy (other than beans). Most canned stuff is too mushy and salty for my tastes. A quick rinse in the colander and they're good to go!

[limewave]

I try and do the same thing as Becky. I buy a bunch of fresh veggies over the weekend and then wash, cut, and dice them for easy use during the week. I find that a bag of cut veggies is a great snack for the drive home. Also, when I'm feeling lazy, I cook up some whole-grain pasta or quinoa and throw some frozen veggies in the pot. Or cook veggies in olive oil and mix with the pasta/grain. Add a splash of olive oil or balsamic vinegar for seasoning. It's really easy, light, and tastes good.

I really like the blocks of frozen chopped spinach. I go through a couple of those a week. I'll add it to spaghetti, use as a bed for grilled chicken or stir fry, add as a layer to lasagna or to an omelette . . . it goes on and on. Super easy.

[Smilie]

I really like the blocks of frozen chopped spinach. I go through a couple of those a week. I'll add it to spaghetti, use as a bed for grilled chicken or stir fry, add as a layer to lasagna or to an omelette . . . it goes on and on. Super easy.

Spaghetti with sauce? Can you taste the spinach? I like spinach but my kids not so much.

[kelownagirl]

I mostly eat raw veggies. I'm too lazy to cook them. Baby carrots, snap peas, peppers, and tomatoes are my faves.

[salsabike]

Green peppers. They are easy to wash, trim, and eat half of one as a veggie for any meal.

[chutch]

These are great suggestions, thank you! I'll give several of these a try and figure out what works best for me.

[michelem]

You mentioned burritos and pasta for dinners. How about diced tomatoes and spinach in your burritos? For the pasta, how about throwing in some broccoli florets and/or making a nice sauce with fresh tomatoes and basil?

Although, technically, I think a tomato is a fruit . . .

Some baby carrots to go along with your pb&j's might work as well.They're pretty travel resistant . . .

[Becky]

You mentioned burritos and pasta for dinners. How about diced tomatoes and spinach in your burritos? For the pasta, how about throwing in some broccoli florets and/or making a nice sauce with fresh tomatoes and basil?

Oooo! You just reminded me that I have a recipe for broccoli and spinach enchiladas that is to die for! Assemble ahead of time + pop in oven before taking post-commute shower = hot, fast dinner with almost no work.

[Smilie]

Oooo! You just reminded me that I have a recipe for broccoli and spinach enchiladas that is to die for! Assemble ahead of time + pop in oven before taking post-commute shower = hot, fast dinner with almost no work.

So where is this recipe?

[Becky]

So where is this recipe?

At home on my kitchen bookshelf I'll try to remember to find it tonight and post it.

[7rider]

I prefer not to have to keep anything refrigerated and I bike to work so it needs to be easily portable in a pannier.

Any ideas, tips?

If you don't already have one, buy yourself a small, insulated lunch bag that can fit in your panniers. Now that stores are having "back to school" sales, you can find one easily. Use a Blue Ice pack or similar to keep things cool without a refridgerator. I obsessively save little plastic containers (like take out deli salad things) to reuse for light-weight lunch containers. All of these ideas (raw veges for snacking, salads, etc), can pack easily in those plastic containers and stay cool in your bag. If it's stuff to reheat, I keep a ceramic bowl/mug at my desk for microwaving....

[gnat23]

My favorite sneakies:

"Pesto" sauce: steam a chopped up head of broccoli. Toss into a food processor or blender with a sprinkle of basil, some broth to thin it out, garlic, parmesan and a splash of olive oil. Make smooth, pour over pasta, good with chicken!

Salad I got from Costa Rica: bag of shredded cabbage, half-a-bag of shredded carrot, slice some seedless cucumbers. Juice of 2-3 limes and some salt to taste. Mix and eat throughout the week.

Snack on baby carrots and celery.

Huge stirfry and a crockpot stew are easy ways to make meals for the week.

-- gnat! (Now I'm hungry...)

[GLC1968]

I also do a lot of grilled veggies during the week. Marinate them in ff italian dressing during the day and grill when you get home (or roast in the oven if it's not too hot out). Very quick and yummy! I always make extra, and throw some in a container to eat with lunch the next day.

I also do the chop veggies on the weekend trick. I even bag them individually so that when I'm putting together food for the day during the week, I can just grab and go.