🌽Three ways to make vegetables more crave-able🌽

We all know vegetables are so good for us - packed with fibre and nutrients they are very nutrient dense but low calorie. This means they are fantastic for weight management and weight loss. The fibre content makes them great for managing blood sugars and type 2 diabetes as well as lowering high cholesterol. The potassium in vegetables is also very good for managing high blood pressure. So, there is no denying that veggies are fantastic, but they can be a bit boring if you are just boiling and steaming the same few every week. Upping the flavour and excitement around veggies can help you eat more vegetables and actually enjoy them.

We often put so much effort into cooking meat that by the time it comes to the veg we have run out of steam. Just a few simple steps can really take a veggie dish from bland to flavour bomb and make you actually look forward to it!

1.      Sauces and Flavoursome Oils

Experiment with different sauces like soy sauce, fish sauce, gochujang, mustard, vinegar, hot sauces, hot honey, pesto, chilli sauces, miso paste, marmite, tahini, and honey to up the flavour and make vegetables more exciting. Oil can also be really delicious, try sesame oil when stir-frying or making a dressing or extra virgin olive oil on salads, tomatoes etc.

Some of my favourite dressings: Peanutty ginger dressing, Hot honey tahini dressing   herby olive oil dressing

If in doubt squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top, a good drizzle of olive oil, taste season and go.

2.      Vary your Cooking Method

Steamed or boiled veg gets boring – try roasting, grilling or BBQ-ing for better flavour and texture. These are really delicious and really simple on a gas bbq or oven. Or try smashing raw veg (smashed cucumber or radish in a soy sauce and sesame dressing are amazing!) Also, fermented/pickled vegetables such as kimchi or sauerkraut will add a whole new dimension. Blending into soups or making into mashes – tomato and bean soup, cauliflower and bean mash, sweet potato mash.

3.      Add Herbs

Herbs are such an underutilised flavour bomb. Try to buy big bunches loose from veg shops rather than the sad 15g plastic packets, if you can. Buying big bunches works out cheaper, is plastic-free and encourages you to use big generous fistfuls rather than just a sprinkle. Experiment and see what flavours you like – Dill, Parsley, Coriander, Basil, Thai Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Bay leaves – there are so many and most dishes taste better with some herbs tossed in at the end!

For inspiration: Watermelon, feta and mint salad, herby Georgian Salad, Sundried tomatoes and basil hummus , herby avocado and butter bean salad