Two Quick Ways to Jazz Up Your Veggies!

Okay, I’m going to be honest. Sometimes I get bored with what’s in my refrigerator. I use boredom as my excuse to eat fewer vegetables and chow down on more carbohydrates. This is especially true during the ten days before my period. Yes, even as a person who loves veggies and normally follows a healthy and balanced diet, I can fall into a rut just like everyone else.

Tips to make veggies more appealing

It can be hard to get excited about eating vegetables when there are only so many you may like. It can also frankly get boring to be eating the same types of vegetables day in and day out. Here are two easy and healthy ways that help me jazz up my plate! By making vegetables more appealing, I can increase my vegetable and fiber intake.

Make quick and easy cucumber salads

Vinaigrette dressing

I slice up three or four Persian cucumbers (they have fewer seeds and more taste) and dust them with sea salt and cracked pepper. I then top the sliced cucumbers with a homemade vinaigrette of vinegar and oil.

Mediterranean style

Other times, I use white wine or balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil for a Mediterranean flair to the cucumbers. And if I'm in the mood, I throw in a generous serving of sliced sweet onions!

Asian-inspired flavors

For a flavorful kick, I combine sesame oil with rice wine oil and add a dash of sriracha to coat my cucumber slices. Cucumber is extremely versatile and can be easily prepared in many ways.

Have fun with colorful carrots

I spend the extra fifty cents and buy the two-pound bag of large organic rainbow carrots at my local grocery store. I do this for several reasons. Raw or cooked, I love carrots and always have. Rainbow organic carrots are not only pretty and unique but according to Time Magazine, rainbow carrots are more healthy! They're also delicious, and in my opinion, tasting the rainbow is so much better than munching on chemically grown Franken (as in Frankenstein) carrots.¹

The two-pound bag of large rainbow organic carrots costs about fifty cents more than the two-pound bag of large orange Franken carrots, but to me, it's totally worth it. There are no added chemicals and I never end up throwing out leftover rainbow carrots because there are never any leftovers - I EAT THEM ALL!

Get creative with your snacks

There are many ways to jazz up other vegetables, sometimes with ingredients that you may already own. Experimenting with new techniques can be a fun activity! For more inspiration to make vegetables more appealing, browse through the many recipes in the recipes section.

What are some ways you make your vegetables more exciting to eat?