How to eat a better variety of veg?

[PinkKettle]

Luckily my kids are not fussy and eat pretty much everything but I seem to repeatedly buy and cook the same veg, I really want to up the variety we eat. What sorts of veg do you eat with what types of meals? I’ll give you a couple of examples of main meals off this weeks meal plan.

Spanish chicken with chorizo (tomatoes, red onion and red pepper) with roast new potatoes and seasoned roast mixed veg (courgette, aubergine, brown onion, broccoli, sugar snap peas, button mushrooms.)

peri peri chicken, green beans, corn on the cob and home made spicy rice (onion, chilli, carrot, red pepper and peas)

beef casserole (onion, sweet potato cubes, carrots) served with dumplings, cauliflower, spring greens and sprouts.

After typing that I’m not sure if I’m actually bored of repeating the same meals too often, all I know is I am bored of eating what always seems to be the same meals/veg.

Honestly that sounds like a pretty good variety to me! The only omission I would say is maybe some salad. For example both chicken dishes would go well with a big mixed salad.

Thank you we tend to eat more salad in spring/summer out of habit so that is something I could change. Dc eat lots of carrot sticks, cucumber, celery, pepper, radishes and cherry tomatoes with their lunches and for snacks with hummus.

You could try different types of frozen veg - broad beans, edamame beans, sweetcorn etc. I always have these in the freezer, along with frozen spinach.

Also, a roast-type meal with things like roast parsnips, celeriac puree, kale. I tend to just try and get a few different things each week. Try cooking with leeks and shallots instead onions.

It does sound like quite a wide variety anyway tbh! We had a Greek salad last night to go with dinner - it’s quite a fun way to get raw stuff into our diet. I’m a big fan of salads in general and eating as raw as I can but mostly stick to these at lunch.
we’ve got a few veg with our roast this evening, cauliflower cheese, baked leeks, caramelised shallots and some Cavalo Nero. Hungry now!

You’re doing well! I try to add additional veg to most meals where I can. So if I’m doing lasagne or spaghetti bolognaise I’ll use the usual garlic, onion, celery, tomatoes, but I’ll grate carrot, courgettes, and stick a load of mushrooms in. I’ll make savoury rice with chicken and just whatever veg I have in - usually onion, peppers, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, diced carrot and whatever else I have in.

Most things can be bulked out with more veg. I also make loads of veggie soups with whatever is on the turn in the fridge. Or I make a huge pan of mirepoix and freeze it in meal sized bags, so I can just throw it into meals without the faff of chopping every time.

Do you always have the same veg with the same meal then? That would get repetitive.

An easy way to add more variety is to go more seasonal.

I think you are doing really well, but if you are looking for inspiration, there’s this by Hugh Fearnly W…

https://www.worldofbooks.com/products/river-cottage-veg-every-day-book-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-9781408812129

I've started to make a big roasted veg pasta sauce in bulk, and then freeze in portions. I roast a variety of mixed veg (onion, pepper, courgette, sweet potato, fennel, aubergine, garlic, carrot) and then add tinned tomatoes, heat and blend the whole thing.
Then when it comes to making the pasta bake I stir this sauce into pasta with things like broccoli, chickpeas, olives and jarred artichokes added in too for extra veg. Cheese on top, baked and then served with a big salad for some more veg

That’s a great way of adding vegetables, @Tryingnottobeamouse

I have been making similar - and freezing - with roasted tomatoes, red peppers, onions and garlic, but I’ll try adding other veg as well as it sounds delicious!

You probably just need some new inspiration. I've been looking at the Riverford social media recently and some of their recipes are delicious. The Chipotle beans with baked eggs and Marry Me Cauliflower have been big successes here. My DC wouldn't normally choose to eat cauliflower but they love it in that dish..
www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/chipotle-beans-baked-eggs?srsltid=AfmBOopL2jmEQTfSuSak6EEkqwoJc-gdoLT3TciZytOXDMJELwPUBxcQ

Seasonal!
It'll save you money & save airmiles too. And generally they taste better in season.
So currently you could be eating sprouts, swede, parsnips, leeks, beetroot, carrot.
Save your corn on the cob, green beans and aubergine for summer meals & you might feel less bored of them then.

I have Holland & Barrett subscription deliveries with 8-veg pasta sauce, 8-veg black bean sauce, multi baked beans, etc. And they're all in glass jars so without the microplastics from cans.

How about soup?

We’ve just invested in a soup maker, really easy, it even has an option to sauté the veg first and blends once it knows it’s cooked

I think we have (ironically) got used to seeing veg as mediterranean veg and forget sometimes our other roots so swede, turnip, radish, various cabbages, parsnips, beets and fennel, also tree fruits like apples, apricots, plums, peaches etc.

Dont forget jar and tinned fruit and veg.

Braised cabbage in chicken stock and butter is really nice, goes all silky and creamy, you could chuck in some white beans in that too.

A gratin with the root veg above

Swap out your potatoes for other roots

I forgot sprouts, lovely roasted up with olive oil, completey different taste

Another Riverford link!

Here you go:

Thinking outside the (veg) box: Riverford cuts prices as families feel pinch

https://www.thetimes.com/article/8b1906e5-0877-4f9d-96e9-ca2e12d59ff0?shareToken=93eb7ca1bb4ab348540cae0283e23a02

I have known people who turned to homemade soup-making, as you can stuff pretty much any vegetable in there, and their DC can't go, "I don't like X!" on sight. It worked in getting vast amounts of vegetables into them without them noticing!

You could try getting a veg box delivered every week, they change so someone else is making sure you get variety.

it would be very easy to substitute in different colour peppers. Roast parsnips or butternut squash would work with several of those meals. Spinach cooks down to hardly anything so you can chop that up and stir it through rice whatever for a few minutes before serving. Pearl barley is great in beef casserole, and I would have mushrooms in there.

I chop spinach really finely into pesto and they barely notice.
Jamie Oliver has a many veg pasta sauce that looks like tomato.

The OP isn’t seeking to ‘disguise’ vegetables in her dishes!

I’m slightly wondering if your OP wasn’t an idle stealth boast, @PinkKettle - but if not, I’m pescatarian and in addition to Riverford’s, my larder is full of things from:

https://hodmedods.co.uk/

So I’m constantly experimenting with ways to combine pulses and grains with veg.

I havent had a veg box so might not be accurate but from what Ive read it can be quite samey, basically potatoes and stuff most weeks.

Also the reality is, if you are eating seasonally, you would be restricted to that, which wont change hugely week to week (not at this time of year anyway)

No, you’re wrong, @soupyspoon! (Bit odd to comment on something you know nothing about, surely?)

There are several ways you can shop from Riverford’s (dunno about other veg box schemes).

1. As I do: exactly like my Ocado order - I just pick what I want from the different sections. I never have to buy or receive anything I don’t want.

2. Order one or more boxes with pre-selected contents. This is slightly cheaper and there are lots to choose from.

3. Mix the two options. I sometimes pick say cheese, muesli, bread, individual veg and then add a pre-selected fruit bag. Or whatever.

There’s a minimum spend of £15, and your order will arrive on one allotted day once a week whenever you order. It doesn’t have to be every week.

I don’t have any connection to them.

Well thats fine if thats how that company works, I was just saying what Ive read people complaining about on other veg box systems they have, local farms perhaps, grocer perhaps

I think I also looked into it for myself to see if I wanted it and the range was quite limited, cant remember the company.

And commenting on things we know nothing about!!! Well thats internet forums for you!

@Aixellency no not a stealth boast, I really think the fact my kids eat whatever is put in front of them is sheer luck, if it was something I did I would be a very rich lady!

I make a lot of asian dishes and add quite a lot of veg (babycorn, mushroom, lotus root, edamame, brocolli, carrot) plus some pulses

Aubergine parmigiana is a great one for a different type of veg - my kids weren't sure but love it (it's a pain in the arse to prepare but so delicious)

Honestly I know there is a whole eat 30 different types a week thing but remember herbs/spices/pulses etc are part of that and the most important thing is getting them to consume veg/fibre in the first place so don't beat yourself up if it is the same stuff each week. Maybe just try one new veg heavy dish each week?