Planning a weekly menu is a great way to save time and eat better during the week. This is the perfect time to think about our famous vegetable side dishes that are sometimes forgotten or put aside. Moreover, many challenges can arise when it comes to filling half of our plate with them: the constantly increasing prices, the lack of time or inspiration, the fear of wasting, etc. Here are a few tips on how to incorporate them more easily and abundantly into your daily life.
Vary and Mix
It is difficult to have an abundance of vegetables if we only cook one for the meal: aim to add several kinds in the same dish. The best way to do this without adding a ton of prep is to choose side dish recipes that include multiple vegetables in themselves, so they save time (and dishes!)
Vegetables as the Basis of the Meal
How is it possible to not eat enough vegetables if you choose meals that prioritize vegetables as a base? Try to incorporate at least one of these types of dishes each week:
- Salad as a meal
- Soup as a meal
- Protein soup (perfect for fall!)
- Express vegetable stir-fry
- Vegetable and bean casserole
Quick Vegetables
To save time in the kitchen and maximize our chances of having more vegetables in our dishes, why not turn to ready-made vegetables?
- Frozen or pre-cut vegetables can be baked, sautéed Asian style, used in pasta sauce or in soup. Replace them with any fresh vegetable in all your recipes.
- Canned vegetables: Use macedonies in soups or soup/chowder, pasta sauce, in rice or in salads
- Salads: Use pre-cut salads, spinach, arugula or bagged coleslaw as the base of a meal salad or as a side dish and avoid taking out your cutting board.
- Raw vegetables: Opt for quick raw vegetables like baby carrots, baby cucumbers and baby tomatoes that don't even need to be cut. Add them to the center of the table to accompany meals or as a snack with a homemade dip.
Get a Head Start
When we get back from the grocery store, it's time to do some prep work: we take the opportunity to clean and cut our vegetables, and we make sure to store them in plain sight in the fridge so that they are easily accessible. You can also cook some of them in advance and reheat them at mealtime. At all times, I also recommend that you DOUBLE up your preparation quantities so that you can freeze the surplus and reuse it later.
In short, strategic meal planning is the key to getting plenty of vegetables in your meals! To receive personalized advice tailored to your needs to meet the challenges of kitchen organization and food variety, consult one of our nutritionists. Our KoalaPro portal also offers a multitude of recipes brimming with vegetables to garnish your weekly menus. Enjoy your discovery!
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in Quebec City
