10 Ways to Boost Your Veggie Intake Without Salads

How to eat more veggies

Try these flavorful ways of incorporating more veggies into your diet:

Roast for maximum flavor

Roasting or baking veggies can boost their flavor profiles.

To roast:

1. Toss cauliflower, broccoli, and your other favorite veggies in a healthy cooking oil, such as olive oil.
2. Add your favorite spices and herbs for extra nutrients and flavor.
3. Bake until golden-brown or crispy.

Blend into smoothies

Smoothies don’t have to be only fruit-based — you can make green smoothies. This may be a good option if you don’t enjoy the taste or texture of whole, raw vegetables.

Next time you make a smoothie, try blending in a handful of spinach, celery, kale, or tomatoes for a nutrient boost. Cauliflower is also popular because of its mild flavor.

Stir-fry for variety

Try stir-frying a mixture of veggies for a variety of flavors, textures, and colors. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, edamame — you basically can’t go wrong with any combination.

Sip on veggie-packed soups

You can add chopped veggies to soups — hot or cold — but you can elevate the nutrient profile even more by blending the soup base with veggies. Cauliflower adds creaminess, and tomatoes add flavor.

Swap noodles for veggies

“Zoodles” (zucchini noodles) are a great gluten free and lower carb alternative to pasta. You don’t have to worry about sacrificing flavor since zoodles have a mild flavor.

You could also try other plant-based pasta substitutes such as:

• cabbage
• spaghetti squash
• kelp

Use veggie casings

In place of wraps, tortillas, or bread, try using lettuce or collard greens. This swap lowers carbs and boosts nutrients.

You can play around with the veggies you use to encase your meals. The cuplike shape of romaine lettuce makes it a good choice for sandwiches.

Rice your cauliflower

Basmati, brown, and jasmine rice are great grains. But cauliflower can make a good rice stand-in.

Though you might detect a difference in flavor, it may be well worth it for the added nutrients.

Lean into dips

Cooking causes veggies to lose someTrusted Source nutritional value, which is why eating them raw is beneficial. But we’ve already established that you crave more creative options than salad.

“Ants on a log” (celery with any nut butter and raisins) is a classic snack. You can also try carrot sticks, bell peppers, cucumbers, and other raw veggies with:

• hummus
• salad dressing
• yogurt-based dips

Put trust in cauliflower crust

Cauliflower is a versatile veggie. We’ve already discussed making rice with it, adding it to soups, and blending it in smoothies. Another option is to make a cauliflower pizza crust.

This substitution is:

• gluten free
• diabetes-friendly
• low carb

Add to anything and everything

You don’t need to get extremely creative every time you want to consume veggies but avoid eating salad. Sometimes creativity can be as quick and easy as adding veggies to:

• sandwiches
• pizza
• casseroles
• pasta
• scrambled eggs

It’s most important that you eat the proper serving of veggies daily. The right amount varies from person to person. Use the Department of Agriculture’s calculator tool to determine how much you need.

Takeaway

Salads are a great way to consume a variety of vegetables in a pinch, but they’re not the only way. Whether you’re trying to increase your veggie intake or looking for new ways to consume them, try:

• blending them into smoothies
• sipping on them as soup
• using them in place of bread or wraps

How you consume your veggies is less important than ensuring that you consume enough daily. If you have trouble getting enough veggies, a registered dietitian can help you plan meals.