TryingOver Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 I'm on day 19 of my Whole30 (although I'm planning on extending beyond 30 days) and as I'm adjusting to making template meals and eating more at home I've realized that I have a serious lack of variety with the vegetables I'm eating, and, to make matters worse, I'm leaning pretty heavily on starchy vegetables (carrots, sweet potato, squash and the occasional white potato). I'm looking for advice on vegetables to try to add variety. What are some of your favorite vegetables and how do you prepare them? Also, how much "starchy vegetable" is too much for a template meal? What I currently have/eat regularly: Sweet potatoes Green cabbage Asparagus Brussels sprouts Carrots Bell peppers Avocado Tomatoes Onions Most of the time I'm adding sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, or potatoes in recipes with other vegetables (ex: Brussels sprouts hash with sweet potatoes or a cabbage, potato, and carrot stew). I just went to the farmer's market and picked up sunchokes, purple asparagus, baby bok choy, lots of fresh tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes, fermented sauerkraut, green onions, butter lettuce, spring mix. I'm eager to try new things and get more variety, but I came from a family that mostly ate vegetables out of a can (peas, corn, etc) or iceburg lettuce salads covered in cheese, dressing, and croutons, so when it comes to picking up vegetables and knowing how to cook them, what to make them with, etc. I'm often at a loss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_Suep Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 When in doubt, I roast. I also grill. I find that I'm more adventurous when someone else prepared it for me and then I try and imitate it as close as I can at home. I don't usually like spinach cooked. But my aunt made some that I loved. She got fresh garlic and pine nuts and browned them in olive oil and then added a ton of spinach to just barely wilt it. It was so good. I love it. I love asparagus wrapped in bacon and grilled until the bacon is cooked through (and two macros with one stone! Fat and veggies!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TryingOver Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 I don't usually like spinach cooked. But my aunt made some that I loved. She got fresh garlic and pine nuts and browned them in olive oil and then added a ton of spinach to just barely wilt it. It was so good. I love it. I love asparagus wrapped in bacon and grilled until the bacon is cooked through (and two macros with one stone! Fat and veggies!) Both of those sound so good! I'll have to give them a try. Thank you for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpunkyBug Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Swiss chard is really good. Here's sort of a fancy recipe, but you could just sauté it. The stems are yummy, and just need a little more time than the leaves. http://nomnompaleo.com/post/54289289200/swiss-chard-with-raisins-pine-nuts-and-porkitos Butternut squash and spaghetti squash are also the bomb. This green bean recipe is like the best thing ever: http://meljoulwan.com/2012/03/14/coconut-almond-green-beans/ If you don't have one already, consider getting a spiralizer, and you can make zucchini noodles and sweet potato noodles. This is really good: http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2014/05/roasted-easy-herby-spiralized-vegetables-20-spiralized-recipes/ I also love beets out of the can, and it shouldn't be hard to find them with only water and salt or even just water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpunkyBug Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 A couple more... This broccoli dish is amazing: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/broccoli-bagna-cauda-51217020 Here's a great acorn squash recipe, and you can skip the almond flour if you like: http://paleomg.com/side-dish-herb-crusted-acorn-squash/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon! Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 A few of my staples lately (at Day 19 too!) with vegetables not on your list. I stir fry, roast and pressure cook. Cauliflower stir fried with garlic and ginger Chard leaves stir fried with garlic (delicious when made with grass-fed beef tallow. It's sort of a sad dish with olive oil.) Daikon stewed in water with some kombu (can add some shiitake mushrooms. I do this in a pressure cooker) Broccoli roast with bagna cauda sauce (via Nom Nom Paleo) Roast mushrooms with parsley and lemon Stir fried mushrooms, bok choy and onion with ginger and garlic And now that summer is starting: zucchini. Stir fried with onion, roast with onions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaGirl Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 wouldn't enough asparagus wrapped in bacon be overkill on the amount of bacon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_Suep Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 wouldn't enough asparagus wrapped in bacon be overkill on the amount of bacon? If you use a whole slice of bacon for each spear. You can always cut the bacon in pieces or put bunches of asparagus in a whole pice of bacon. My one caution with asparagus is your pee will smell.... Interesting. It happens every time I eat asparagus, whether one spear or a whole plateful. Another way to eat asparagus that I like is roasted or grilled with oil and lemon juice. And then I squeeze more lemon on it because I love it that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaGirl Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 ok one more Asparagus question for you… When you're eating grilled, roasted,, how ever.. do you consume the whole bunch? 1/2 bunch? 1/3? Purley curious here.. I eat the entire bunch.. Maybe your asparagus is sold differently? Ours in California is sold in a rubber band bunch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_Suep Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 I don't usually buy asparagus as I am the only one to eat it in my family and I have a hard time eating a lot (it's a pretty fibrous veggie) but I'll eat it if it's served to me or someone else makes it. I usually go for other hearty veggies first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaGirl Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 haha All that advice and you dont even eat it.. ha.. yeah.. ok THANKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_Suep Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 haha All that advice and you dont even eat it.. ha.. yeah.. ok THANKS I eat it, just not often and I don't usually buy it. I still like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaH2016 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Try stuffing a large green, red or yellow pepper with a ground meat and "riced" cauliflower, that with a side salad and you are getting additional veggies. My salads typically have at least 2 different lettuces, shredded carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and toasted pecans or toasted brazil nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TryingOver Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 Thank you all for the fantastic recommendations. I'll be out of town part of this week and all of next week, but when I get back home I'm going to be enjoying some chard, stuffed peppers, zoodles, cauliflower, etc. I really appreciate the advice and recipes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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